Trial against Nazario Mercedes, accused of multiple homicides in Ocoa, is postponed.

SAN JOSÉ DE OCOA. – The Collegiate Tribunal of the Court of First Instance of the Judicial District of Ocoa postponed the hearing of the trial on the merits against Nazario Mercedes, accused of causing the death of Darmelin de los Santos Ramírez, an event that occurred in the year 2022 in the municipality of Rancho Arriba, Ocoa province.

Judges Alfis Brandeli Castillo, Dayham E. Rodríguez and Loida Amador Sención suspended the hearing and set its continuation for Thursday, February 12, in order to continue hearing several witnesses proposed by the parties.

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Nazario Mercedes, known in the community as "the master" or Miguel, was transferred from the Correction and Rehabilitation Center of Najayo to the Palace of Justice. Upon his arrival, relatives of the victim reacted with shouts of indignation and demands for justice. During the trial, the defendant was assisted by the National Public Defense Office, while the legal representation of the victim was in charge of lawyers from the Ministry of Women. The Public Prosecutor's Office was represented by prosecutor Ysidro Minyetty and aspiring auditor Adonys Zabala. In the hearing, a sister of the victim testified, who stated that the accused left writings in a notebook in which he made derogatory references towards Darmelin de los Santos Ramírez, in addition to justifying the crime for alleged economic reasons. Likewise, prosecutor José Altagracia Castillo declared that the accused also left written evidence admitting his responsibility for the death of the young woman. The medical examiner Franklin Garrido, who performed the body removal, reported that the autopsy determined that the victim died of strangulation, after having ended the relationship she had with the accused. Nazario Mercedes faces charges under articles 295, 302, 309-2, and 330 of the Dominican Penal Code. Furthermore, he is indicated in other jurisdictions for the alleged commission of similar acts, including homicides that occurred in 1995, 2008, and 2014, as well as other cases still under investigation. In November 2024, the defendant was arrested again while allegedly attempting to hide a body in the municipality of Villa Altagracia, which aggravated his legal situation.