San Cristobal Prosecutor’s Office demanded to return assets of deceased citizen following arrest
Investigative journalist Pamela Rojas has raised her voice to request that the San Cristóbal Public Prosecutor’s Office immediately return the belongings confiscated from the family of Miguel Antonio Valenzuela Lucas, popularly known as “Miguelito.” The citizen lost his life days after being released from police custody, and three months after the incident, his assets remain in the custody of the authorities.
Among the items withheld are an engine, personal documentation, and the sum of 40,000 pesos in cash. According to the complaint, these resources are essential for the support of the three children left behind by the deceased, who are currently in a vulnerable situation.
Chronology of a case under investigation
The case originated on July 8, when Valenzuela Lucas was detained by National Police officers. According to reports, the man entered the police facility in good health, but upon being released on July 13, he presented serious physical injuries. After being rushed to the Juan Pablo Pina Hospital, the citizen passed away.
Before his death, the victim identified Captain José Luis Lorenzo as the person responsible for the physical assaults received during his stay at the barracks. Despite the accusations, the police institution only proceeded with the transfer of the officer to the municipality of Baní, without any concrete answers having been offered so far regarding the criminal proceedings.
The urgent call now is to the San Cristóbal Prosecutor’s Office because the belongings of this man who died three months ago have still not been returned to his relatives. That man left three children orphaned who need support, and this money, as well as that motorcycle, could mean an income for them.
Pamela Rojas, investigative journalist.Legal position on the retention of goods
When consulted on this matter, lawyer José Eliseo Almánzar explained that the Public Prosecutor’s Office does not have the legal authority to retain the assets of a deceased person if there is no active criminal investigation to justify it. The jurist stressed that, in the absence of legal action linking the objects to a crime, the prosecutor’s office is obligated to return them.
- If the Public Prosecutor’s Office does not maintain an active investigation, the assets must be returned.
- The family has the option to file an amparo appeal before the courts.
- The main demand of the relatives is justice for the homicide and the recovery of the family estate.
The community and the relatives of “Miguelito” are waiting for a satisfactory response from the judicial authorities, who have not yet clarified the status of the investigation nor facilitated the return of the seized belongings.
