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The case of the alleged "cannibal killer" from Santiago de Cuba has once again shaken the city following a large-scale police operation that reignited fears that José Luis Fernández Torres, 60 years old, is not only responsible for the brutal murder of Ángel Luis Mercantety Quiñones but also for the disappearance of other residents from the Abel Santamaría neighborhood.
The news had been circulating since Thursday, September 11, when independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada reported an unusual police presence in Micro 3 on social media, but confirmation came two days later through a testimony published on Facebook by researcher and professor Julio César González Pagés. It was this second source that provided greater credibility to the reports and clarified doubts about what had occurred.
According to both testimonies, the operation began early Thursday morning at the building where the accused resided. Neighbors reported the presence of the Operational Guard, accompanied by high-ranking military and police officials, including colonels and lieutenants.
The operation, described as a possible "reconstruction of the events," reportedly included the transfer of Fernández Torres himself from the police unit to his apartment, under heavy guard and amid a blackout that kept residents on high alert. The scale of the deployment reinforced the impression that this was a crucial step in the investigations.
New findings and the shadow of "Kukito"
In parallel with the transfer of the accused, neighbors reported seeing authorities remove new human remains from the area located behind the market and the bakery in Micro 3.
Although there is no official confirmation regarding the nature of these remains, multiple accounts link them to the disappearance of a man known as "Kukito," whose absence has been reported for several months.
According to González Pagés, "there are fears that other missing neighbors could add to the list of victims and turn the accused into a serial killer." The investigator himself warned in his publication that the silence surrounding these cases "only increases complicity with violence" and called for more transparency and preventive action.
City Under Tension
The case against Fernández Torres had shocked public opinion due to the macabre details revealed after his confession: the dismemberment of Mercantety's body, the storage of remains in two refrigerators, the existence of a jar with human fat, jars with fried meat, and a bag with ribs.
These elements fueled suspicions of cannibalism practices, although they were never officially confirmed.
The new operation has only intensified the tension in Santiago de Cuba. Neighborhood residents report living in constant fear. “We don’t know who they took, but we do know that the police are in that man's building and that Kukito is still missing,” a resident told independent media.
Demand for answers
The lack of official information and the magnitude of the rumors have left the city in suspense. The people of Santiago are demanding clear answers and justice, not only for Mercantety's family but also for the loved ones of other individuals whose whereabouts remain a mystery.
"Silence in any case of violence will always be complicit in it. Of course, I verify the sources I use, although there is likely a margin of error because this is a developing story," González Pagés stated in his post, emphasizing the urgency for the authorities to confirm or deny the versions circulating.
A case that never ends
Almost three weeks after the discovery of Mercantety Quiñones' head in a garbage container, Santiago de Cuba remains caught between official silence, rumors, and the lingering echo of a crime that seems not to have come to an end.
The possibility of more victims makes this process one of the most disturbing episodes in the recent history of the city.
Meanwhile, the name of José Luis Fernández Torres, the professor accused of homicide by decapitation, remains shrouded in mystery and horror. For many residents of Santiago, the fear now is not just recalling what happened, but the uncertainty of how many more victims he may have left in his wake.
For now, the only certainty is that Santiago de Cuba remains in suspense, awaiting responses that the authorities have yet to provide and that the population demands with increasing impatience.
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