Mother of suspect in Aibonito teen’s stabbing death remains silent during questioning

Videos posted on social media Tuesday showed throngs of people turning out in Aibonito in a public demonstration of grief for slain teenager Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario on what would have been her 17th birthday. (WAPA.TV/AUGUST13,2025/1:31AM/FB)

By The Star Staff

The mother of the young woman suspected of stabbing teenager Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario to death remained silent before authorities on Wednesday as the island Prosecutor’s Office began gathering witness statements and collecting information from individuals cooperating with the investigation.

Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres and Inspector Robert Ramos, deputy director of the Police Bureau’s Auxiliary Superintendency of Criminal Investigations, said the investigation is making progress.

Ramos noted that they have called several individuals for interviews at the Aibonito Prosecutor’s Office, including the mother of the suspect in the stabbing.

Gómez Torres stated that while the investigation is advancing, she could not provide a timeline for filing charges. Her comments contradicted Aibonito Mayor William Alicea Pérez’s earlier statement, in which he confirmed that authorities were planning to charge six individuals — both adults and minors — suspected of killing Pratts Rosario.

The teenager died tragically early Monday morning after being stabbed eight times during an altercation that occurred after she attended an end-of-the-summer event on the Roberto Colón detour, at the intersection with Highway PR-14, in Aibonito.

Gómez Torres’ remarks followed Alicea Pérez’s statements, in which he said “[t]he conversation I had late last night with some of the police leads them to expect defendants in this case this week.”

“[…] Multiple individuals, both male and female, are suspected and currently under investigation by the CIC [Criminal Investigation Corps],” the mayor said, while urging anyone with information to contact authorities at 343-2020.

The victim, who would have turned 17 this past Tuesday, was slain allegedly after intervening to defend her sister during the altercation. Another minor was injured and remained in stable condition early Wednesday.

In a video shared on social media by the victim’s cousin, it was alleged that Pratts Rosario’s mother was restrained by the suspects while they assaulted her daughter.

Expressing his sorrow over the tragic incident, Alicea Pérez said: “The only word one can use to describe moments like this is ‘indescribable pain.’”

“Although I’m not directly related to this young girl, as a human being, it is truly heartbreaking,” he said. “It is disheartening that situations like this continue to occur, especially when the victim is a young girl who’s only 16 years old. Today, August 12th, she would have turned 17, and tomorrow would have marked the start of her fourth year. It’s incredibly painful and sad.”

The mayor also highlighted the possibility that a longstanding school dispute could have been the catalyst for the crime.

Thus far, authorities have made significant progress in the investigation. On Monday night, they found a knife, bloodstained clothing, and a 1997 Toyota Corolla at the home of the grandmother of three of the suspected minors. Photos of those suspects have been widely circulated on social media.

Authorities are currently awaiting a search warrant to investigate the car owner, believed to be the individual who provided the means of escape for the perpetrators.

Alicea Pérez also acknowledged his concern over potential vigilante justice in Aibonito, prompting the activation of a preventive patrol on Monday.

“There’s no way the police can solve cases if there’s no one available to assist and cooperate,” the mayor said. “In events like this, altercations like this, there are always people watching, there are always witnesses. When these fights happen, I urge you to report it to us through each of your news outlets, provide video evidence, and cooperate. Only in this way can we effectively address this wave of crime.”

Videos posted on social media Tuesday showed throngs of people turning out in the southern-central mountain town in a public demonstration of grief for the slain teenager on her birthday.

Late in the day on Tuesday, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced new actions to address violence in Puerto Rico, following the slaying of Pratts Rosario and a tourist in the La Perla neighborhood of San Juan. The measures were to include the implementation, starting Wednesday, of a mandatory emotion management curriculum in all public schools, educational campaigns, and a review of court-ordered private anger management courses.

“The fact that a girl died at the hands of another girl is devastating,” the governor said. “This program seeks to give children tools to channel their anger and prevent violence, even when they come from violent family backgrounds.”

Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes confirmed that in the Aibonito case, protective custody was taken of some minors and that the agency she heads is working together with the police and the Justice Department.

“We are committed to prevention, to ensuring that children develop in positive environments that foster their skills and discourage violence,” Roig Fuertes said. “We are reinforcing rapid response when minors are identified in operations to avoid future trauma.”

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés said the school the victim attended will receive socio-emotional support “in the short and long term” and that its reopening will be gradual.

The governor insisted that both the Aibonito and La Perla cases reflect the urgency of addressing violence at its root, with early intervention, socio-emotional education, and access to mental health resources for the population.