A dog from the farm Los Guzmanes prevented the escape of an alleged thief early Tuesday morning in the La Caoba area, Cobre road, Santiago de Cuba, according to .
The incident occurred around 1:30 in the morning and resulted in the arrest of one of those involved; two others managed to escape, as stated in a communication on their social media.
According to the information, the group of three young people was trying to take the oxen from the property when they were discovered.
During the escape, one of them fell, and the animal caught up with him. The photographs sent to the media show him with visible injuries on his face. He was later taken to a police unit in Micro 9, and one of the farm owners came to file the corresponding complaint.
The informants claim that the young man captured was not a stranger to the farm: he had allegedly entered on previous occasions to steal agricultural products such as yuca and plantains.
A source stated that the three individuals were carrying two machetes, a pair of shears, and an object described as a homemade firearm, although the outlet itself clarified that it could not independently verify this detail.
Another source identified the detainee as Héctor Lionis—without specified last names—and stated that he would be fulfilling Mandatory Military Service at UM-1573 in Sabana, associated with the La Caoba area. Both his identity and possible affiliation with the Revolutionary Armed Forces require official confirmation.
At the time the information was reported, the authorities had not issued any official statement nor was there any record of formal charges being filed against the detainee.
The case adds to a series of criminal incidents that have shaken Santiago de Cuba in September. Neighbors in Trocha and Gasómetro reported repeated nighttime assaults at the beginning of the month, and on September 20, the theft of solar panels from ETECSA in the province was reported.
The theft of working animals has become one of the most serious crimes in rural Cuba. At the beginning of September, 13 people were arrested in Guantánamo for violent attacks and robberies on farms in rural communities, and on September 10, a man was killed on a farm in Matanzas during a robbery.
Users on social media reacted with outrage towards the alleged thieves and offered solidarity with the affected farmer. "Poor farmer working for those shameless thieves," wrote one of the commenters on the original post.
The Cuban Observatory for Citizen Auditing documented 2,833 verified crimes in Cuba during 2025, an increase of 115% compared to the previous year, with 1,536 robberies being the most common category. Santiago de Cuba was the fourth most affected province, with 323 recorded cases, a figure that has continued to rise in 2026.
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