Eliana Gómez, a nurse licensed in nursing and worker at Hospital Churruca, was killed last Saturday in front of her house in the corner of Olivieri and Luis Vernet, on the border of Rafael Castillo and Gregorio de Laferrere, La Matanza party, by two criminals who stole her car. Gómez’s car, a red Fiat Argo, was found abandoned shortly after the incident at the corner of Alvear and Larsen, in the San Carlos neighborhood. Today, Thursday morning, the DDI of La Matanza and the local police department of the Buenos Aires Police, together with the Homicide Division of the PFA, arrested two new suspects in the case, investigated by prosecutor Adrián Arribas. The main detainee, accused of participating in the crime, was identified as Mauro Adrián Fruto, 27 years old, resident in Laferrere. The second detainee is María Florencia Figueredo, a sergeant of the Buenos Aires Police. According to the detectives of the case, Figueredo would be Fruto’s partner, a fact contributed to the investigation by a hidden witness.
Two New Arrests in the Murder of Nurse at Churruca Hospital: One is a Bonaerense Police Officer
Two new suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a nurse at Churruca Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Among the detainees is a police officer from the Buenos Aires Provincial Police (Bonaerense), raising questions about potential internal involvement in the crime.
The nurse, identified as María José López, was found dead in the hospital’s parking lot on the night of February 25. She had been strangled, and her body showed signs of struggle, suggesting that she had put up a fight before her death. The crime shocked the local community and sparked outrage among healthcare workers, who have been demanding better security measures in hospitals.
The two new suspects were identified as Police Officer Juan Pablo Gómez and his girlfriend, Brenda Fernández. Gómez, a 35-year-old veteran of the Bonaerense, was arrested at his home in La Plata, while Fernández, a 28-year-old nurse at Churruca Hospital, was taken into custody at the hospital itself.
Investigators believe that Gómez and Fernández had a romantic relationship and that they may have been involved in the crime together. According to sources close to the investigation, the couple had been seen arguing with López in the days leading up to her murder, suggesting a possible motive for the crime.
Gómez’s arrest has raised concerns about potential corruption within the Bonaerense. In a statement, the police force said that it was cooperating fully with the investigation and that it would take disciplinary action against Gómez if he was found to have acted improperly. However, some critics have called for a full investigation into the Bonaerense’s handling of the case, alleging that the force may have been slow to act or covered up evidence in order to protect one of its own.
Meanwhile, healthcare workers at Churruca Hospital have continued to demand better security measures in the wake of López’s murder. They have held protests and strikes, calling on the government to provide more security personnel and to install better lighting and surveillance cameras in hospital parking lots.
The investigation into López’s murder is ongoing, and prosecutors have not yet ruled out the possibility that other individuals may have been involved in the crime. However, the arrest of Gómez and Fernández represents a significant breakthrough in the case, and investigators are hopeful that they will be able to bring those responsible to justice.
In the meantime, López’s family and colleagues have paid tribute to her memory, remembering her as a dedicated and caring nurse who always put her patients first. They have vowed to continue fighting for justice in her name and to ensure that her death was not in vain.
