Preliminary hearing set for father accused of killing 5-year-old son in Caguas

By THE STAR STAFF

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next Tuesday, Jan. 13 in the case against Christian Serrano Rosario, who allegedly stabbed his five-year-old son to death inside their home in the El Tamarindo neighborhood of Caguas on Jan. 5 and reportedly claimed that “the devil” made him do it.

“The devil was inside me,” Serrano Rosario said Tuesday as he was escorted from the Caguas police headquarters following his arrest. “It was the devil,” he repeated to reporters.

Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres confirmed that prosecutors filed charges of first-degree murder and violation of Puerto Rico’s Weapons Law in connection with the child’s death. The case was presented before the Caguas Court of First Instance.

Judge Irmarie Colón Massó found probable cause on both charges and set bail at $850,000 for each, totaling $1.7 million. Serrano Rosario was unable to post bail and was ordered held in prison pending the preliminary hearing.

According to the investigation by the island Justice Department and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, Serrano Rosario used a bladed weapon to kill the child inside the family residence. The weapon was seized at the scene for forensic analysis, and the suspect’s vehicle was also impounded as part of the probe.

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón condemned the crime, calling it “atrocious, macabre, and violent,” and vowed that the accused will face the full weight of the law regardless of his mental health condition.

“There will be no leniency,” the governor said during a press conference on Wednesday. “The Department of Justice will file the appropriate charges so that he faces the full consequences.”

González Colón added that the case has sparked widespread outrage and emphasized the importance of seeking timely mental health assistance, while reiterating that the judicial process will proceed without exceptions.

Police Superintendent Joseph González Falcón confirmed the identity of the victim and addressed misinformation circulating after the crime, clarifying that the suspect is not related to a civilian employee of the police department.

“It is important to make clear that the individual responsible is not the son of our colleague, contrary to incorrect information shared without official verification,” González said in a written statement.