Peru Prosecutor Warns Evidence Does Not Yet Link Five Detainees to Trujillo Killings and Kidnapping

Peru’s lead organized-crime prosecutor is urging caution over five people detained after a deadly attack and kidnapping in Trujillo, saying police suspicions are not yet proof.

Jorge Chávez Cotrina said there were still insufficient grounds to state that the detainees participated in the deaths of four people and the kidnapping of a mining businessman. “We cannot categorically affirm that they are the ones; the Police must collect scientific evidence and provide it to the prosecutor to show that their hypotheses have been corroborated,” he told RPP.

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We cannot categorically affirm that they are the ones; the Police must collect scientific evidence and provide it to the prosecutor to show that their hypotheses have been corroborated.

The investigation has a 15-day period and remains at an early stage. Chávez Cotrina said none of the five detainees had given a statement. Prosecutors want to gather more evidence before questioning them, while defense lawyers have already appeared in the case. Investigators may begin interrogations after analyzing the detainees’ mobile phones.

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As long as we do not have solid, scientifically sound evidence proving that, obviously we cannot make that assertion. We have to be cautious; this is a very complicated investigation, we are only on the second day of detention, and we still have 13 days to continue investigating.

Defense Minister Rafael Belaúnde said the suspects were believed to belong to Los Pulpos. Under that version, four allegedly occupied the vehicle used in the attack, while the fifth allegedly acted as a logistics operator. Chávez Cotrina stressed that these claims still require objective evidence.

Investigators will also subject videos of the attack to specialized analysis. The prosecutor said an anthropological expert would compare the detainees with the people shown in the footage, whose appearance suggested military bearing. “It is important for an anthropological expert to determine whether the people who have been detained are the same people shown in the videos, who appear to have military bearing,” he said. The findings will help prosecutors assemble evidence before seeking measures from the courts.

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It is important for an anthropological expert to determine whether the people who have been detained are the same people shown in the videos, who appear to have military bearing.