Gunman in 2020 liquor store hit found guilty of murder

The case faced multiple challenges, including the killing of a cooperating witness and appeal hearings. Sentencing is slated for May 14 in Caguas.

By The Star Staff

A 12-person jury found Jan Pierre Santiago Ríos, 32, guilty on Tuesday of murdering Oscar Pérez Picorelis, 36, in front of a business in Gurabo, in a joint attempt with two accomplices.

“No person who violates our legal system can escape justice,” designated Justice Secretary Janet Parra Mercado said in a written statement. “With this unanimous verdict, we reaffirm that the Department of Justice relentlessly pursues the truth.”

Prosecutors Juan Goyco Rodríguez and Jaime Perea Mercado proved the crimes of first-degree murder, unlicensed use and discharge of firearms, endangering public safety, and conspiracy, under the Penal Code and the Weapons Law.

The victim was intercepted on Feb. 27, 2020 as he arrived at the Rincón Liquor Store with his partner. The attackers shot him multiple times with illegal weapons. Santiago Ríos was arrested on July 3, 2022, in Santa Isabel, after being a fugitive for more than two years.

The case faced multiple challenges, including the killing of a cooperating witness and hearings in the Court of Appeals. The sentencing hearing will be held on May 14 in the Caguas Court of First Instance, before Judge Daniel López González.