Title: Argentine Police Officer Found Dead with Gunshot Wound: EX-Partner Detained
Article:
In a tragic turn of events, a 28-year-old policewoman in Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina, was found deceased with a gunshot wound in her abdomen. The preliminary investigation led by Prosecutor Betiana Cendón points towards femicide, with the woman’s former partner, another police officer, being detained as the primary suspect.
The victim’s body was discovered on Thursday, January 9, by her aunt who had grown worried after failed attempts to contact her. Neighboring residents reported hearing a heated argument followed by two gunshots around 6 AM the same day, although they did not intervene at the time.
The policewoman’s service weapon was found at the scene, deemed functional and ready for use. Other evidence of interest was also secured. The officer’s former partner, a fellow member of the Río Negro police force, was promptly detained at his workplace. He is currently the chief suspect in the case.
Gendarmería Nacional has been assigned to conduct technical and scientific examinations, while Río Negro police and the prosecutor’s operative units collaborate in the investigation. Measures include analyzing public and private security cameras, reviewing phone records, and conducting Dermotest analysis for gunshot residue.
An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, January 10, at 9 AM to determine the exact cause and circumstances of the victim’s death, and to confirm whether it was a case of aggravated homicide, as suspected by investigators.
In a separate incident, a 22-year-old man was apprehended in Ezeiza on January 8 for allegedly attempting to kill his girlfriend on June 28, 2024. The 24-year-old woman suffered severe stab wounds to her body and face during a heated argument but managed to survive.
The suspect was located and arrested while working at a local barbershop near the intersection of Street 2 and Olavarría. The joint operation was led by the Subdelegation Department of Investigations (SubDDI) and the Department of Investigations (DDI) under the supervision of prosecutor María Lorena González from the 3rd branch of Esteban Echeverría specialized in family and gender-based violence.
The victim was attacked with a sharp object in her home on Solís Street in Carlos Spegazzini, leaving her with disfiguring injuries. Perito police scientists performed crucial analyses to reconstruct the events and confirm the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The accused faces a charge of ‘attempted femicide,’ defined as ‘the attempted killing of a woman by a man using gender-based violence.’ As investigations continue, both cases remain open, and additional details will be reported as they become available.