The Sixth Section of the Provincial Court of Las Palmas hosted this Monday in Lanzarote the beginning of the trial against the seven defendants of robbing and beating the carpenter from San Bartolomé, José Antonio Perera, which caused his death two months later in 2016.
The Public Prosecutor and the private prosecution, promoted by the family of José Antonio Perera, accuse the seven investigated of breaking into his home in San Bartolomé, one of them dressed as an agent of the Guardia Civil, gagging its owners and beating Perera, which cost him his life after two months in the hospital. Of them, six have a criminal record, some are even convicted of the murder of Juan Carlos Tejera.
According to the statement made before the Court, the defendants Narciso Manuel Gutiérrez (alias El Peón), Angelo Delgado (alias El Loco) and José Miguel Betancort (El Gordo) traveled from Tenerife to Lanzarote by boat, with two vehicles, to spend a few days on the island in mid-January 2016. On the day of the robbery at the home of José Antonio Perera and his wife, January 18, they were in Lanzarote. With them, also traveled the defendant Sandra Viviana Ramírez, who defends that she moved to the island because she suffered "threats and coercion" by other defendants to attend the trip. However, the alleged perpetrators claim that she traveled to the island voluntarily because she had a sentimental relationship with one of them.
Once on the island, they stayed at the home of Angelo's father, Juan Antonio Delgado, and met in a cafeteria with the seventh defendant, Antonio González. During their interventions, they all denied the facts and assured that, although they were spending a few days on the island, they did not assault the house in La Florida or beat Antonio Perera.
In contrast, Sandra Viviana Ramírez, the only woman accused in the case and the only one without a criminal record, stated that she left four of the investigated: Narciso Manuel Gutiérrez (alias El Peón), Néstor David Padilla (alias El Calvo), Angelo Delgado (El Loco) and José Miguel Betancort (El Gordo) on the road to La Florida, next to the house on Caldereta street in San Bartolomé, on January 18, 2016.
In addition, Ramírez assured that Angelo Delgado's father, Juan Antonio Delgado, another person known as El Ciego and “a woman with a hood” were traveling in another vehicle. According to her version, she only acted as the driver of the first car and waited for the indications of the rest to return to the place to pick them up.
In order to enter the house without raising suspicion, the Public Prosecutor accuses José Miguel Betancort, alias El Gordo, of having impersonated an agent of the Guardia Civil, with a vest and a false goatee and of pretending that he was investigating the commission of a crime of money laundering to be able to access the interior of the house. Something that Betancort denied during his statement before the Court.
In addition, the accused, nicknamed El Gordo, also questioned that in the framework of the police investigation his DNA was found in the victim's house and described as "false" the testimony of the witnesses who place him at the scene. “I knew they weren't doing anything good”, Sandra said before the questions of her lawyer, after responding to the Public Prosecutor and the private prosecution. However, she defended that she did not know their plans and that she acted for fear that they would harm her or her daughters.
During the police action, Sandra Viviana was caught with a firearm hidden inside a black bag with a padlock. "El Calvo gave it to me, he told me to keep this and I did it without looking at what was inside", she added.
The Public Prosecutor asks for 20 to 27 years in prison for the seven alleged perpetrators for the commission of the crimes of attempted murder, robbery with violence and for Sandra Viviana the crime of illegal possession of weapons.
The continuation of the oral trial against the seven defendants and the presentation of the testimonial evidence is scheduled for this Tuesday. For the moment, the case will be extended until next Monday, April 29.