The Mantilla community in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality of Havana is in shock following the violent murder of Leonardo Garlobo Castellanos, a father of three minor children.
The tragic event occurred on November 19, just three days after her 41st birthday, leaving a trail of sorrow and outrage among family, neighbors, and friends of the victim, according to a Facebook post by La Tijera.
Testimonies from alleged witnesses indicated that a group of approximately 15 people broke into the home of Garlobo Castellanos, smashing the door and brutally attacking him. This detail has not been confirmed by our editorial team, which is awaiting updates from authorities or state media regarding the tragedy.
The tragic event was confirmed on Facebook by the victim's half-brother, Leonardo Garlobo Acosta, who expressed profound sorrow over what had happened.
"Today, tomorrow, and always, I will remember you, even though you left me and brought this pain that I will never overcome. I hope you are in a better place… We will meet again to be together, as you used to say when I called you, that you wanted me to come live with you. We all miss you so much. I love you, my brother. May God keep you in glory," expressed Garlobo Acosta.
It appears that the attackers—presumably motivated by a dispute related to football—stabbed and beat the victim with a stick in front of his family, including his young children and his 16-year-old daughter.
Leonardo, known for his affable nature and sense of responsibility toward his children, took care of the little ones after the death of his wife a few years ago, as noted by several users in the comments on social media posts about the news.
His passing leaves his children orphaned, engulfed in tragedy and facing a vulnerable situation that has generated significant empathy within the community.
The mother of one of his daughters, Zenaida Bruzón Castillo, expressed the pain that overwhelms the family: “He was a good father, son, and friend. This has left the children without a father, and two of them no longer have a mother. What happened is an injustice.”
Two of the alleged attackers have already been arrested, while the community demands justice and calls for increased security in the area. The farewell to Leonardo brought together neighbors from Mantilla and other neighborhoods, who remembered his kindness and dedication to his family.
Despite the Cuban regime authorities insisting that social media presents a distorted and exaggerated view of violence in Cuba, the reality is that reports of crimes like the one in Mantilla appear with disturbing frequency in the independent press.
Recently, a young Cuban identified as Alain Nolasco was brutally murdered in El Fanguito, a neighborhood in Havana's El Vedado. According to the independent reporter "NioReportandoUnCrimen," the incident occurred last Monday at 3 a.m. on 15th Street between 26 and 28, right in the middle of the street.
In a supposed street fight, between 13 and 15 people were involved, but the victim was stabbed by at least four neighbors, as well as being struck with pipes, hit with hammers, and even struck with a bottle, the report indicates.
Similarly, the young Cuban Jesús David Corcho Pérez, 22 years old, who had been reported missing since last Sunday in Jovellanos, Matanzas, was found deceased this Thursday, according to family sources.
Four days after the urgent alert issued by the family to locate him, a cousin of Corcho reported the tragic outcome: he was found dead, and she claimed that he was murdered, although she did not provide further details.
On the morning of this Friday, a similarly horrifying event was reported. According to local reporter Yosmany Mayeta on his Facebook channel, an entire family was murdered in their home in the municipality of San Luis, in Santiago de Cuba, and their house was allegedly set on fire to make it appear as though they were victims of a fire.
The incident resulted in at least three fatalities: a young man and his two parents.
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