San Juan court finds no cause against Capitanes de Arecibo manager in domestic violence case
José Manuel Baeza Visaldán was arrested Sept. 22 following a complaint under Puerto Rico's domestic violence law.
PhotoThe short version
- El Vocero reported that Baeza's lawyers stated they demonstrated the accusations against him were not true
- El Nuevo Día reported the no-cause ruling was issued on Wednesday by Judge Obdulio Meléndez Torra
- Metro Puerto Rico reported the no-cause ruling was issued on Oct. 12 and ordered immediate release
- El Nuevo Día reported the BSN activated its gender-violence protocol but did not suspend Baeza
No cause for trial
A judge in San Juan found no cause to advance charges against José Manuel Baeza Visaldán, the manager of the Capitanes de Arecibo in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, El Nuevo Día reported. El Nuevo Día reported Baeza, 34, faced charges of maltreatment and aggravated maltreatment under articles 3.1 and 3.2 of Ley 54 following an alleged incident on Sept. 22 in San Juan.
According to Metro Puerto Rico, the determination occurred on Monday, Oct. 12, and the judge ordered Baeza's immediate release. He had been arrested on Sept. 22. Metro Puerto Rico reported his legal team said they proved the imputations were not true and expressed confidence he could resume his professional duties. El Vocero reported similar statements from attorneys José Andréu Fuentes and Alfredo Umpierre Soler dated Oct. 12. El Vocero reported
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Pudimos demostrar que las imputaciones contra el Sr. Baeza Visaldán no eran ciertas
Our translation: We were able to demonstrate that the imputations against Mr. Baeza Visaldán were not true
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Vocero. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Case timeline
El Nuevo Día reported that an initial finding of probable cause for arrest was made by Judge Rocío Alonso González on Oct. 5, with bail set at $30,000. Baeza posted bail and was released under electronic monitoring. The preliminary hearing took place on Wednesday. The Office of Courts Administration press office told El Nuevo Día that prosecutors had not yet requested a preliminary hearing in alzada.
El Vocero reported Baeza was initially held at the Bayamón correctional complex before posting the $30,000 bond on Sept. 24. The sources differ on the precise date of the no-cause ruling.
Where the sources differ
All three sources agree that a San Juan court found no cause against José Manuel Baeza Visaldán on charges under Ley 54, that he was arrested Sept. 22, and that his attorneys stated the accusations lacked foundation and that he was ordered released. El Nuevo Día and El Vocero name the initial judge as Rocío Alonso (or Alonzo) González and report a $30,000 bond; Metro Puerto Rico does not. Sources conflict on the date of the no-cause ruling and judge: Metro Puerto Rico says Monday, Oct. 12 by Judge Obdulio Meléndez with immediate release; El Nuevo Día says the ruling was on Wednesday by Judge Obdulio Meléndez Torra after an Oct. 5 probable-cause finding. El Vocero dates the defense statement Oct. 12 but does not specify the hearing date.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether the prosecution will seek a preliminary hearing in alzada. They provide no details on the alleged victim's identity, age or account beyond the police summary of physical and verbal aggression. The articles do not say if Baeza will immediately resume all duties with the Capitanes de Arecibo or whether the BSN will take further action under its protocol.
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 Tribunal determina no causa para juicio contra José Manuel Baeza por cargos de Ley 54
- Reporting Determinan no causa contra apoderado de los Capitanes por caso de violencia de género
- Reporting Tribunal de San Juan determina no causa para juicio contra José Manuel Baeza en caso por violencia de género
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, Metro Puerto Rico and El Vocero each reported the no-cause finding and defense statements. The exact date of the preliminary hearing rests on a single source in each case, and only El Nuevo Día reported the BSN protocol activation and the lack of a suspension.
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.