The Cuban who was murdered and dismembered in Soria, Spain, has been identified as Jorge Luis Pérez Ochandarena.
The case has gone viral in recent hours in the Iberian nation due to the significant role that a Google Street View photo played in solving the crime.
The image in question captured the moment when the alleged murderer had in the trunk of his car aLand RoverThe Cuban's remains are garnet in color. The images date back to October of this year.
Pérez Ochandarena arrived in Spain in January 2023, and his trail was lost on November 7 of that same year.
The flyer requesting assistance for his whereabouts indicated that he was 32 years old at the time he went missing, had a stocky build, stood 1.75 meters tall, and weighed 120 kilograms.
Such signs must have complicated the task for the perpetrator of the crime in disposing of the body, which he dismembered. So far, only the torso has been found buried in the cemetery of Andaluz, a village with very few inhabitants in the province of Soria.
Two detained and many questions
As a result of the investigation, two individuals were detained in the province of Soria in November of this year: a woman of Cuban nationality and a man originally from Soria, whose identities have not been officially disclosed.
Nevertheless, it is known that the man is named "Manuel." The individual has refused to cooperate with the police, who continue to search for the remaining remains of the victim.
The exact connection between the three parties involved remains unclear.
Spanish media initially reported that both Cubans were married, and that the woman had arrived in Spain before the victim. It was stated that the Spanish man was her lover, and that jealousy and a love triangle with a fatal outcome were the alleged motives for the crime.
However, a statement released this Wednesday by the Ministry of the Interior of Spain does not present the story in that way.
"On November 12, the agents moved to two locations in Soria, where they arrested a woman, the partner of the missing person, and a man who had been the woman's partner, as suspected perpetrators of a crime of aggravated illegal detention for failing to provide information on the whereabouts of the missing person," the statement indicates.
However, it is known that the man's name is "Manuel." The individual has refused to cooperate with the police, who continue to search for the remaining remains of the victim.
"He had been in Spain since around January 2023, and she had been living here for a long time. The investigation is trying to determine the nature of their relationship," authorities in charge of the investigation stated during a press conference on Wednesday.
Research progress
Once the perimeter was secured around the deceased's immediate surroundings, two searches were conducted at the residences of the now-detained individuals, as well as a technical-police inspection of the vehicles, where they managed to find key evidence for the investigation.
Following that, on November 14, a provisional order for the imprisonment of both citizens was issued.
At this stage of the investigation, once the detainees were in custody and the bulk of the evidence and indications had been gathered, the focus shifted to locating the missing individual.
On December 11, a human torso in an advanced state of decomposition was discovered buried beneath the ground of a cemetery in a town in Soria. Due to the lack of definitive identification, it may correspond to the missing person.
The human remains found were transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Soria.
Background: The Disappearance
Little is known about Jorge Luis Pérez Ochandarena's life from the time he arrived in Spain until he disappeared.
A cousin, who lives in Zaragoza and with whom I had regular contact, was the one who reported the disappearance to the authorities after receiving suspicious messages via WhatsApp. He also sought help through social media.
In the messages received by the relative, Jorge Luis Pérez mentioned that he had met a girl, that he was leaving Soria, and that he would no longer have that phone.
It was out of suspicion that something was wrong that the victim's cousin contacted the police. A year later, the story has taken a bewildering turn and ended tragically for Jorge Luis Pérez.
The National Police emphasized this Wednesday that this case has been resolved thanks to meticulous work and the support of residents from the villages of Tajueco and Andaluz, as well as the trust shown by the family of the missing person.
The case remains under investigation, and it is expected that in the coming days, the threads of a very grim plot will continue to unravel.
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