Lorenzo Ahmed González Cacho[1] (November 29, 2001 – March 9, 2010) was an eight-year-old Puerto Rican boy who was murdered on March 9, 2010 in his home in Dorado, Puerto Rico. At the time of his death, his mother, Ana Cacho González, and two sisters were at the house.[2]
| Date | March 9, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Time | Prior to 5:00 am (AST) |
| Location | Dorado, Puerto Rico |
| Type | Murder |
| Cause | Blunt force impacts and stabbing wounds |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Target | Lorenzo González Cacho |
| Perpetrator | Unknown (disputed) |
| Participants | Unknown (disputed) |
| Outcome | Unresolved |
| Deaths | Lorenzo González Cacho (aged 8) |
| Burial | Porta Coeli Cemetery Bayamón, Puerto Rico |
| Coroner | Carlos Chávez |
| Arrests | Luis Gustavo Rivera Seijo ("El Manco") |
| Suspects |
|
| Convicted | None |
| Charges |
|
The case gained notoriety in the island for the discrepancies and irregularities surrounding the crime scene, the evidence and testimonies. This led to the accusation of Ana Cacho González, the boy's mother, and three males as potential suspects by Secretary of Justice Guillermo Somoza, who took over the post after his predecessor, Antonio Sagardía, resigned to become the attorney for the boy's mother.[3] However, on March 9, 2015, on the 5th anniversary of the murder, the Puerto Rico Justice Department announced that the accused were no longer suspects.[4]
On March 7, 2016, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice announced that first degree murder charges would be filed against Luis Gustavo Rivera Seijo "El Manco" for the child's death.[5] On April 28, 2016, the charges against Rivera Seijo were dropped due to lack of evidence that could prove the presence of Rivera Seijo in Cacho's residence.[6] These charges were dropped again on June 7, 2016, in a trial on appeal.
Background
editLorenzo González Cacho was born on November 29, 2001 to Ahmed Alí González and Ana Cacho González[7] and was the middle child of two sisters.[8][9] From an early age, González Cacho showed interest in sports, and was active in a soccer team. He was studying at Dorado Academy in his hometown. At the time of Lorenzo's death, his parents were in the process of divorcing when his sisters were approximately 13 and 5 years old.[10]
Death
editOn March 9, 2010, Ana Cacho took Lorenzo to the Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Dorado, Puerto Rico. Cacho arrived between 5:00 am and 5:30 am AST with Lorenzo covered in blood; the child was later pronounced dead at the clinic. Upon questioning, Cacho claimed that her son had fallen from his bed at their home in Dorado del Mar, however, this version was discarded by the autopsy which revealed severe injuries to the face and head, which included three stabbing wounds to the face.[11]
Suspects
editAlthough no charges have been filed, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice had identified four people considered suspects in the death of Lorenzo. However, on March 9, 2015, on the 5th anniversary of the murder, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice announced that all four were no longer suspects.
- Ana Cacho González[7] – Lorenzo's mother. She was identified as a suspect by the Department of Justice on March 19, 2010. Her two daughters were removed from her home on March 30, 2010, and they haven't had contact since. Through the process, she has insisted her innocence. The Puerto Rico Department of Justice no longer considered Cacho González a suspect on March 9, 2015, five years after the murder.
- Jesús Genaro Camacho – Cacho's boyfriend at the time of the murder. He was identified as a suspect on October 26, 2011. He denies being in the house when the incident occurred and has also maintained that innocence. The Puerto Rico Department of Justice no longer considered Camacho a suspect on March 9, 2015, five years after the murder.
- Arnaldo "Naldy" Colón – A friend of Cacho, rumored to have been at the house the night of the murder. The Puerto Rico Department of Justice no longer considered Colón a suspect on March 9, 2015, five years after the murder.
- William Marrero Rivera – A federal agent working for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), identified as a suspect by the authorities in August 2012 and also allegedly present in Cacho's house the night of the murder. The Puerto Rico Department of Justice no longer considered Marrero Rivera a suspect on March 9, 2015, five years after the murder.
- Luis Gustavo Rivera Seijo "El Manco" – A homeless one-armed man (missing left forearm) with a previously-diagnosed mental disorder, who grew up in Dorado del Mar, the same neighborhood where the González Cacho family resided and was incorrectly released from jail the night of the murder.
Controversy
editThe case gained widespread notoriety throughout the island when the gossip-news show SuperXclusivo began to closely follow it and conduct independent investigations. While following the case, a number of irregularities were alleged, among these is the crime scene, which was not secured and was immediately cleaned after it had already been seen by investigators, but before forensics could thoroughly analyze it.[12] Ana Cacho's father met with the governor at the time, Luis Fortuño, and handed him a mysterious envelope.[13] The Secretary of Justice at the time, Antonio Sagardía, resigned his post towards the end of 2009 to represent Ana Cacho as her lawyer, seen as an unethical move[14] and expressed that she was a victim of the media.
Luis Gustavo Rivera Seijo "El Manco" was shown to have been diagnosed with mental problems and had confessed to the murder at the beginning of the investigation and several other times, sometimes retracting his confessions. According to authorities, Rivera Seijo's confessions weren't considered valid at first because they didn't add up and the claimed murder weapon was never found.[15] On March 8, 2016, Judge Jessica Morales, determined probable cause for arrest for murder against Rivera Seijo for the death of Lorenzo González Cacho.[16] On April 28, 2016, another judge explained the confession was full of errors and that there was lack of forensic evidence to confirm that Rivera Seijo was present at the González Cacho residence at the time of the murder.[6] Charges of negligence, obstruction of justice and suspicion of murder against him were dropped.[17][4][18]
See also
edit- Death of Caylee Anthony, 2-year-old American child whose mother was accused of her murder
- Death of Liliana Barbarita Cepeda
- Death of Victoria Martens
- List of unsolved murders
References
edit- ^ VOCERO, Por Miguel Rivera Puig, EL (March 8, 2017). "Seven years after Lorenzo's death" (in Spanish).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Lorenzo González Cacho: two years after his death". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 9 March 2013.
- ^ "Ana Cacho es sospechosa desde el primer día reitera Somoza". Primera Hora. 2 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Justice will not file charges today in the case of Lorenzo". Endi (in Spanish). March 9, 2015.
- ^ "Justice confirms that he will file charges for Lorenzo's murder". Vocero Newspaper (in Spanish). March 7, 2016. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017.
- ^ a b Cabán, Cynthia López (28 April 2016). "Full of "errors" case against El Manco" (in Spanish).
- ^ a b "A diez años del asesinato del niño Lorenzo González Cacho". Primera Hora (in Spanish). March 9, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "Hermana de niño Lorenzo rompe el silencio a 10 años del asesinato". Metro Puerto Rico (in Spanish). March 9, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "Ana Cacho narra los últimos minutos de vida de su hijo Lorenzo". Primera Hora (in Spanish). March 29, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "Lorenzo González Cacho: photos never seen". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 2011-10-27. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06.
- ^ "Paramedic states that the boy Lorenzo González Cacho had three facial injuries". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2010-03-18.
- ^ "What is known about the death of the boy Lorenzo". PrimeraHora (in Spanish). January 29, 2014.
- ^ "Luis Fortuño confirms that he received envelope from the hands of Ana Cacho's father". PrimeraHora (in Spanish). October 18, 2011.
- ^ "Antonio Sagardía says that Ana Cacho is innocent". PrimeraHora (in Spanish). April 13, 2010.
- ^ "Sagardía assures that they will accuse 'El Manco' for the death of Lorenzo". Elvocero (in Spanish). March 10, 2015.
- ^ "Cause for arrest against El Manco for the death of Lorenzo González". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ Cabán, Cynthia López. "El Manco will not go to trial for the death of Lorenzo". Primera Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ Colón, Javier (27 January 2014). "El Manco was taken on Sunday to the residence of Ana Cacho". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish).