3 people killed in less then 24 hours

By WALDO D. COVAS QUEVEDO

Of the Daily Sun staff

wcovas@prdailysun.net

Three people were killed in less than 24 hours between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon in San Juan and Guaynabo, raising the number of homicides in the first five days of the year to 16, police said.

The latest homicide was reported shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the Hills Brothers quarter of Río Piedras, in front of a specialized vehicle mechanic shop.

The male victim remained unidentified at press time and was described as having medium-toned skin and wearing black pants, shirt and shoes. He was shot multiple times.

Police also said that on Monday night, Joseph A. Matos Ortiz, age not provided, of the Jardines de Sellés public housing project, was shot to death in the dwelling complex at 8:56 p.m.

Police said Jesús Jiménez Tirado and Angel Colón Villegas, both 21, and residents of Jardines de Sellés, were wounded in the incident.

Jiménez Tirado was shot in the left shoulder and Colón Villegas in the left ankle, right elbow and right side of his body.

The three men were rushed to San Francisco Hospital in Río Piedras, where Jiménez Tirado was pronounced dead on arrival from six bullet wounds. The other two were listed in stable condition.

San Juan Homicide officers recovered 38 9mm seven .40-caliber bullet shells at the crime scene.

The deceased, Matos Ortiz, had been booked on June 10, 2009 on drug conspiracy charges.

Yet another killing was reported at 9 p.m. on Monday in the La Rosaleda public housing project of Guaynabo.

The victim was identified as Jason Resto Pagán, 26, a resident of La Rosaleda, who had been shot several times.

Meanwhile, two police officers assigned to the San Sebastián Precinct escaped unharmed after three suspects they were chasing on Tuesday morning shot at them seven times in the San Andrés public housing project.

The agents were identified as Ismael Rivera Román and Eduardo Cardona Torres, who ordered the driver of a gray Mitsubishi Mirage to pull over at the intersection of roads PR-111 and PR-119.

The driver ignored the order and kept driving to the housing project, where the driver and the front passenger fled on foot, while Officer Rivera Román attempted unsuccessfully to arrest a passenger, who escaped after a scuffle.

When the officers were chasing the passenger they were shot at seven times from one of the buildings in the housing complex and called for several back up units, but no arrests were made.

Police discovered 15 decks of cocaine, six decks of heroin and 30 Xanax pills inside the car.