Mexico: Judge orders pre-trial detention for suspect in Dafne Zapata murder case

A judge in Tamaulipas, Mexico, has ordered pre-trial detention for Danna Yanina, the only person arrested in connection with the murder of Dafne Zapata Quintos. The decision came after a lengthy hearing that concluded early Friday morning. Yanina was transferred to a correctional facility pending further investigation.

Yanina's legal team argued that she is also a victim in this case. Her lawyer, Omar Pérez Hernández, stated that the judge agreed to consider a complaint filed by Yanina. This complaint reportedly details alleged mistreatment and abuse by an academy official identified as Estrellita, who Yanina claims subjected her to abuse since she enrolled as a student.

Danna Yanina's father, Ophir Cruz Melo, asserted that his daughter is "just another victim" in the situation, emphasizing that she was not an employee of the militarized academy. He stated that Yanina was held by Estrellita from the day of the murder until she was returned to her family. The family then voluntarily went to the prosecutor's office to file a report, which was accepted the following day.