Police Capture Last Suspect in 2016 Murders of Danish, Mexican Visitors
The Metropolitan Police for Medellin and the Valley of Aburrá announced February 27 that alias “Marulo” – one of four accused killers of two foreign visitors to Medellin last year — has just voluntarily surrendered, following police investigations and citizen information.
Alias “Marulo” is the fourth person charged with the murders of Mexican citizen Gustavo Estrada de la Rosa and Danish citizen Tomas Willemoes in two separate incidents during June 2016; the three others involved the crimes have already confessed and await sentencing.
The first murder occurred June 4, 2016, at Calle 30A and Carrera 85 in the Belen neighborhood, where Estrada de la Rosa was shot after trying to stop the theft of a Kawasaki-650 motorcycle. The three assailants were riding two other motorcycles prior to the theft.
In the other incident on June 16, 2016, at Carrera 36 and Calle 10B in the El Poblado neighborhood, Tomas Willemoes, a Danish citizen, was approached by an assailant. After a brief discussion, Willemoes was shot by the assailant, who then fled with an accomplice on a high-powered motorcycle.
Investigations by the SIJIN criminal investigation unit focused upon the “La Viña” criminal gang, based in the Manrique neighborhood in northeastern Medellín.
That gang is regularly involved in theft of high-powered motorcycles, sales of narcotics and selective homicides, according to SIJIN.
On September 13, 2016, police captured three members of the gang on the streets of Manrique. The following day, police conducted simultaneous searches at five gang-related properties, where recovered physical evidence indicated the participation of alias “Marulo” in the murders, according to police.
Following the issuance of arrest warrants and “due to the strong pressure exerted by the authorities,” alias “Marulo” — accompanied by a lawyer — voluntarily surrendered to SIJIN, according to police.
The arrest warrants issued by Medellin Municipal Criminal Court charge “Marulo” with homicide, possession of firearms or ammunition, and aggravated theft, according to police.
The three other members of “La Viña” gang that had earlier confessed to their part in the murders include Jostyn Alex Castaño Martínez alias “Josty,” Daniel Esteban Grajales Gallego alias “Cumbis” and Carlos Andrés Castrillón Mejía alias “Tatis,” according to police.
