Police find man shot dead in Toa Alta one hour after traffic stop
A 36-year-old Corozal resident was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds inside his white Dodge Durango on PR-142 in the Marzán sector early Sunday morning.
File photoThe short version
- Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that police found the body around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11 on the PR-142 in Toa Alta's Marzán sector
- The victim had been stopped by officers about one hour earlier for a violation of Ley 22 de Tránsito, according to both outlets
- Primera Hora identified the deceased as Geovanni Manuel Marrero Hernández, 36, of Corozal, who had a prior domestic violence record
- Agent Yomaira Rodríguez of the Bayamón CIC Homicide Division is in charge of the ongoing investigation
Discovery of the body
Police discovered the body of a man with multiple gunshot wounds inside a white Dodge Durango parked on the emergency shoulder of PR-142, kilometer 0.5, in the Marzán sector of Toa Alta around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the officers from the Toa Alta Preventive Unit approached the vehicle during a routine patrol to check on the occupant.
According to Primera Hora, Sgt. Carlos Pagán observed the vehicle with license plate DPX-374 and found the driver dead from multiple bullet wounds. The man had been intervened with by police roughly one hour earlier for a traffic violation under Ley 22.
Victim identified
Primera Hora named the victim as Geovanni Manuel Marrero Hernández, 36, a resident of Corozal. Telemundo Puerto Rico described him only as a 36-year-old man but confirmed the same location and circumstances.
The investigation is being led by Agent Yomaira Rodríguez Avilés of the Bayamón Criminal Investigation Corps Homicide Division, along with prosecutor Johan Rosa. Primera Hora noted that Marrero Hernández had a prior record for domestic violence, though the disposition of that case is unknown.
Where the sources differ
Both sources agree on the time of discovery (around 3:00 a.m. Sunday), the location (PR-142 in Toa Alta's Marzán sector), the vehicle (white Dodge Durango), the fact the man had been stopped for a Ley 22 traffic violation about one hour earlier, and that he died from multiple gunshot wounds. Telemundo Puerto Rico did not name the victim or mention his prior domestic violence record, while Primera Hora identified him as Geovanni Manuel Marrero Hernández, 36, of Corozal, named the sergeant involved (Carlos Pagán), gave the license plate, and noted the prior arrest. Both name Agent Yomaira Rodríguez (with Primera Hora adding her full surname Avilés) as lead investigator.
What the reports do not say
The sources do not state whether the earlier traffic stop involved issuing a ticket or any other interaction details, the exact time of the initial intervention, whether the victim was alone at the time of the shooting, if shell casings or other evidence were recovered, any possible motive, or whether police have identified suspects or persons of interest. Next steps in the investigation beyond it being ongoing are not detailed.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Policía halla cuerpo baleado de hombre que había sido intervenido una hora antes
- Reporting Policía halla cadáver baleado de conductor multado una hora antes
How we checked this
Telemundo Puerto Rico and Primera Hora both covered the discovery of the body and the prior traffic stop. The victim's full name, prior domestic violence record, the sergeant's name and the license plate number appear only in the Primera Hora report.
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.