Young man sentenced to 16 years for intentional homicide of police officer

José María Giménez Lezcano, 23, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the intentional homicide of a police officer in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. The verdict was delivered by a three-judge panel on July 20, 2026, concluding a public trial.

The victim, 35-year-old sub-officer Cristian David Cuevas Pintos, was fatally stabbed on March 9, 2024. The incident unfolded in the Chino Cue colony of the Itakyry district. According to court documents, Giménez Lezcano was involved in an altercation with others when Cuevas Pintos attempted to de-escalate the situation. This intervention reportedly angered Giménez Lezcano.

Following the initial dispute, the officer left the scene. However, as he stood on the street with friends outside a neighbor's house, Giménez Lezcano attacked him, inflicting a fatal stab wound to the abdomen before fleeing. The victim was initially taken to a local health post, then to a district hospital, and later to the Hospital de Trauma in Ciudad del Este due to the severity of his injuries.

Despite efforts to stabilize him, Cuevas Pintos suffered a decompensation during transport to Asunción and was returned to Fundación Tesãi, where he ultimately died from hypovolemic shock caused by the penetrating abdominal wound. The prosecution presented documentary, testimonial, and expert evidence, including witness statements, forensic reports, and the murder weapon, to prove the crime and the defendant's responsibility.