Quito university financial manager case advances with new details on alleged plot

Investigators in Quito have pieced together a theory of the case for the murder of Santiago David Ávalos Páez, the financial manager of a local university. The State Attorney General's Office and the National Directorate for Investigation of Crimes Against Life (Dinased) have identified six individuals allegedly involved: five adults and one minor. The fiscal instruction phase is ongoing, with the court yet to determine final responsibilities.

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The investigation into the murder of the financial manager of a university in Quito, Santiago David Ávalos Páez, allowed the State Attorney General's Office and the National Directorate for Investigation of Crimes Against Life (Dinased) to reconstruct the theory of the case.

Key evidence presented by the prosecution includes security videos from the university and nearby properties, telephone analysis, information from a transport app, technical inspections of the crime scene, and statements from the accused. Dinased reported that security cameras captured the 17-year-old suspect, identified as Carlos E., outside Ávalos Páez's workplace. During searches, police seized a motorcycle believed to have been used in the assassination.

The alleged motive stems from internal audits Santiago David Ávalos Páez was conducting into the university's purchasing processes. According to the prosecution, these audits created conflicts with Galo O., the Director of Operations, suggesting a link between his work and the murder. The investigation suggests the alleged plan began the day before the crime, with Galo O. and María S. allegedly photographing Ávalos Páez's vehicle. Employees Juan Pablo G. and Juan Carlos G. were reportedly instructed to photograph the car and monitor the financial manager's movements.

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According to the prosecution, Santiago David Ávalos was conducting internal audits on purchasing processes within the university. The entity maintains that this work originated conflicts with Galo O., Director of Operations. The theory of the case points to these audits constituting the alleged motive for the murder.

On the day of the murder, María S. allegedly followed Ávalos Páez within the campus, taking photos purportedly sent from her cell phone to track his location. The prosecution also claims Josselyn V. arrived at the university with the teenager identified as the alleged perpetrator. Dinased reconstructed the movements of the accused using security cameras, phone records, and transport platform data. According to Colonel Luis Mantilla, national director of Dinased, three of the five adult suspects were apprehended within the educational institution, while the other two were detained in different areas of Quito.

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According to Colonel Luis Mantilla, national director of Dinased, three of the five adults were apprehended within the educational institution where the victim worked. The other two were detained in the La Jipijapa sector and on Diego Vásquez de Cepeda avenue, in northern Quito.