crime

Murder probe goes on

The murderers of Milcia Céspedes, of the Dominican Republic, and her husband Félix Cortez, of Colombia, apparently tracked the couple after they left a bar, then waited for hours to ambush them in their home.

According to police sources, the couple, who had been married for about three months, were in a bar in Juan Díaz until the early hours of Monday morning. As they were driving to their Villa Lucre home in San Miguelito, they noticed they were being followed.

They went to a local police station, and officers there followed them home, then made a search of the nearby area but were unable to locate the vehicle.

As soon as the officers left the area, at about 7:30 a.m., the men went to the house and knocked on the door. Céspedes’ six-year-old niece answered, and the men barged past her and went into the couple's bedroom, shooting and killing them.

The niece as well as two other people in the house were unharmed.

Police believe the murder was drug-related, and have ordered tests done on the victims' home and belongings, including their car, to check for residue of narcotics.

They also collected copies of the couple's fingerprints to forward to Interpol and police agencies in Colombia and the Dominican Republic to see if either person had been involved in any drug-related activities abroad.

In their initial search of the house, police discovered suitcases with false bottoms in them, a sign that the couple may have been involved in some type of smuggling activity.