A 16-year-old has been sentenced to four years of institutional confinement after being found guilty as a co-perpetrator in a kidnapping and murder case in Cuenca.
The crime took place on October 19, 2025, when the teenager and four other individuals intercepted three men at El Arenal market. The victims were taken under threats to a nearby location, where they were robbed and held for several hours.
• Teen sentenced to four years of confinement
• Crime involved kidnapping, torture, and murder
• Two victims escaped; one man was killed
Investigators determined the victims were held for more than four hours and subjected to violence before being transported to a remote area along the road to Cajas National Park. There, they were forced out of a vehicle and told they would be executed.
One of the victims, identified as 39-year-old Carlos Jonathan V., died after suffering multiple stab wounds. The other two managed to flee into a wooded area and later seek help.
Police located the body hours later and collected evidence at the scene, including a knife and mobile devices.
The teenager was arrested in January 2026 following investigative work that included expert analysis, phone records, and security footage placing him at different stages of the crime.
The ruling confirms his role in a case marked by coordinated actions and extreme violence.