They identify security guard killed in Havana

The security guard of a foreign currency store located in the Bahía neighborhood (Guiteras), in Havana, who was found dead on Tuesday morning with evident signs of violence, has been identified as Efrén Ernesto Echemendía Carvajal.

Echemendía Carvajal, who was 51 years old and lived in the municipality of Regla, was murdered with extreme violence and cruelty, as detailed recently by the crime reporter Niover Licea, citing the testimony of individuals purportedly knowledgeable about the case.

Although the victim was a security guard at El Rocío store, located in the aforementioned municipality of Habana del Este, the killer did not steal anything from the establishment.

The attacker would have only taken the victim's cell phone and shoes, leaving the body abandoned not inside the commercial establishment, but in a nearby dumpster. Next to the body, there was a machete.

Niover Licea stated that the victim's mother is 97 years old and is not aware of her son's death. She has been told that he left the country on a boat.

A family member of the deceased said in the publication that "the process is under investigation," and that what is spreading are "rumors."

"May your soul rest in peace, my friend. Efrén, we will miss you, we just ask that justice be done for his family and friends. Rest in peace," said a source close to the victim.

Previously, the reporter had indicated that, despite being found in the morning, the victim's body was not removed from the scene until around two in the afternoon.

The body of the custodian was velated on Tuesday night at the Regla funeral home. According to witnesses' testimonies, the wake was delayed because there was no hearse available to transport the body, a problem that has become increasingly common in Cuba and is part of the crisis in funeral services throughout the country.

Shocked by the crime, several Cubans have expressed their concern and fear about the insecurity in the country due to the increasing crime.

Just a week ago, the murder of another guard, in this case from a notary in Santiago de Cuba, made headlines.