The short version
- Telemundo Puerto Rico identified the victims as Jasmine Rivera, 47, and Gerardo Santiago Santiago, 49, and the suspect as Rey Torres Troche, 39, who was on probation for lewd acts
- Telemundo reported a discussion among the three led to the shootings around 10:34 p.m. Sunday in Ponce's Sombras del Real; Torres Troche allegedly fired at arriving police before barricading himself
- Negotiations lasted at least 30 minutes; more than 25 casings were recovered and bullet impacts were found on the residence wall from officers returning fire
- The Ponce CIC Homicide Division is investigating; the earlier feminicide protocol remains active per prior reports
Updates
Update, Nov 9, 10:50 AM AST
New Telemundo report names all three individuals, adds that the suspect shot at arriving police, was on probation for lewd acts, and that over 25 casings were recovered.
Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that the suspect has been identified as Rey Torres Troche, 39, who was on probation in state court for lewd acts and did not have a firearms license. The victims were named as his consensual partner of about one year, Jasmine Rivera, 47, and a mutual friend, Gerardo Santiago Santiago, 49. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported
According to the new report, a discussion among the three triggered the shootings around 10:34 p.m. Sunday on Calle Almendro in Sombras del Real, Ponce. After allegedly killing the pair in their vehicle, Torres Troche fired at responding officers, barricaded himself inside the residence, and engaged in negotiations that lasted at least 30 minutes before he died by suicide. More than 25 casings were recovered at the scene, along with bullet impacts on the residence wall from officers returning fire.
The Ponce CIC Homicide Division continues to investigate the case.
Incident details
A man allegedly killed a woman and another man before dying by suicide following a confrontation with police in Ponce, according to reports from Primera Hora and El Vocero. The events occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, on Calle Almendro in the Sombras del Real urbanization.
A 9-1-1 call alerted authorities to a person injured by gunfire. Officers found two bodies with gunshot wounds inside a Suzuki vehicle and a third body inside a residence. The third person had barricaded himself, faced off with police and later died by suicide after a SWAT team entered the home around 12:20 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, El Vocero reported.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Ponce travel guide
Investigation
The Ponce Criminal Investigation Corps homicide division and the on-duty prosecutor are handling the case, Primera Hora reported. At dawn, agents from the CIC and personnel from the Institute of Forensic Sciences remained at the scene collecting evidence, according to El Vocero.
Preliminary information indicates the woman was friends with the alleged shooter and that the victims had been at a business together before returning to the residence. The suspect told a negotiator he would not surrender to avoid going back to prison, El Vocero reported. Police have activated the feminicide protocol as part of the investigation. No identities have been released.
Where the sources differ
All three outlets agree on the location, approximate time, two victims in a vehicle, one suicide inside the residence after a standoff, and CIC investigation. The new Telemundo report adds names and ages of all three, that the woman was the suspect's consensual partner of one year, that a discussion triggered events, that the suspect fired at police (with officers returning fire), over 25 casings recovered, bullet impacts on the wall, that negotiations lasted at least 30 minutes, and the suspect's probation for lewd acts and lack of gun license. Earlier Primera Hora and El Vocero accounts did not name anyone, did not mention shots at police, and El Vocero cited the suspect's stated motive of avoiding prison.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the exact sequence of shots at police versus the initial killings, the precise time of the suicide, whether the victims or suspect had other criminal records beyond the probation noted, the type of weapons used, the full motive, or any information about funeral arrangements, toxicology or further charges.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Tragedia en Ponce: dos personas son asesinadas y una tercera se priva de la vida
- Reporting Hombre presuntamente mata a dos personas, enfrenta a la Policía y se priva de la vida en Ponce
- Reporting Hombre asesina a su pareja y amigo, le dispara a la Policía y se quita la vida
How we checked this
Primera Hora and El Vocero provided the initial accounts without names; the new Telemundo report supplies the identities, probation status, shots fired at police and ballistics details. The weekend homicide total mentioned only by El Vocero and the exact SWAT entry time from prior reports remain unaddressed in the latest coverage.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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