The Attorney General’s Office dealt a hard blow to different criminal groups that have committed crimes within the framework of violent demonstrations during the social protest that is taking place nationwide.

On May 4, the facilities of several Comando de atención Inmediata CAI* in Bogotá were vandalized and burned down, among them: Socorro, Engativá, La Aurora and a motorcycle belonging to this command was also burned down. Another of the facts that took place against the public force was the burning of another motorcycle, on April 28, in Los Mártires.

These facts caused fear and anxiety in the community of the sector, and also the fact that members of the National Police suffered injuries.

The damages caused by these criminal acts were valued at approximately $210,000,000.

The evidence collected in the development of one of the lines of action of the Office of the Attorney General to prosecute those responsible for the destruction of public and private infrastructure, fire and looting, allowed the prosecutors of the Sectional Office in  Bogotá, Sijín- Metropolitan Police in Bogotá to identify 14 people who were allegedly involved in such events, one of them was a minor:

  • CAI La Aurora

A group of people, armed with stones, bricks, and incendiary bombs arrived at the CAI located on Carrera 14 L Bis 7, where there were 14 police officers. After breaking the armored glass, they set fire to the place while police officers were inside. In addition, a motorcycle belonging to the National Police was also set on fire.

For this facts, Edwin Guillermo Quiroz Eslava, Jeimmy Alexandra Castañeda Castellanos, Kevin Sebastián Hernández Socha and Edwin Raúl Murcia Rodríguez were arrested. These people were charged by the Office of the Attorney General as allegedly responsible for the crimes of violence against public servants, aggravated damage to someone else’s property, launching of dangerous substances, and terrorism.

The respective detention measures are pending.

In addition, a 17-year-old minor was prosecuted and was charged with terrorism, violence against a public servant, aggravated theft, and aggravated damage to someone else’s property. A supervisory judge belonging to Sistema de Responsabilidad Penal para adolescentes in Bogotá sent him to a juvenile detention center.

  • CAI Socorro

This CAI  located on Carrera 77 Q 49 Sur, in Kennedy, was also damaged with blunt objects and then was set on fire by people who were in the sector.

The investigations led to the arrest of Alexánder Franco Rodríguez, Jordan Smith Giraldo Moncada, Abel David Rueda Rojas and Carlos Alfredo Lengua Bustamante. The Office of the Attorney General charged them with aggravated terrorism and aggravated damage to someone else’s property. A judge imposed a preventive detention measure.

  • CAI Engativá

According to the evidence collected from the CAI Engativá, several people encouraged other citizens to commit acts of violence against the Police. Due to the attacks with blunt objects, one of the police officers was injured. Later, when they managed to get the police out of the place, a group of people set fire to it.

For this fact, Valentina Serna Susatama and Maicol Estiben Martínez Duarte were arrested. The Attorney General´s Office charged them with aggravated terrorism, violence against a public servant, aggravated damage to someone else’s property and fire.

  • A motorcycle that was burned down in the area of Los Mártires

Iván Esneyder Benavides Fandiño, Juan Pablo Leguizamón Álvarez and Dayana Angélica Bohórquez were arrested and prosecuted due to facts that took place on April 28 in Avenida Caracas con Calle 12, in which some protesters allegedly attacked two police officers and later, they set fire to the motorcycle that they were riding.

The Attorney General´s Office charged them with criminal conspiracy, violence against a public servant, aggravated damage to someone else’s property, aggravated theft and disturbing private, official, and public transport. A judge imposed two custodial sentences.

When we speak, results follow.

The information contained in this press release corresponds to the narration of the objective news provided by the officials in charge of carrying out the criminal investigations within the Office of the Attorney General. By the time this communication is disclosed, the legal status of the people mentioned is still pending to be resolved by the competent judicial authority, always under the presumption of innocence contemplated by Article 29 of the Political Constitution and Article 7 of Law 906 of 2004.

*Early response centers of the National Police in Colombia