9-year-old US boy killed while on vacation in Dominican Republic
A New York family’s trip to the Dominican Republic ended in tragedy when their nine-year-old son was shot and died during a botched robbery.
According to authorities, Gioser Lus Feliz, his father Sergio Luis Feliz Mancebo, a relative, and a family acquaintance were on their way to a neighbouring region from Santiago’s Cibao International Airport on Wednesday when they were ambushed by armed individuals.
According to the Dominican National Police, the suspects in a rented car followed the party from the airport and opened fire after a family friend refused to pull over after passing through a toll booth.
The robbers allegedly opened fire on the vehicle, striking Gioser in the head.
He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
The gunmen fled the scene, but they were apprehended by police less than 24 hours later.
Luis ngel Vargas Brito, Derlin Javier Mercado Martinez, Cesar Junior Ulloa Cuevas, José Manuel Almonte Santana, and Elian Martnez Sánchez have been identified as suspects.
According to police, the suspects then admitted to shooting up the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader condemned the violence and demanded that justice be served.
“I’ve been following up on the case since I learned about the death of the child Gioser Luis Féliz.” The Director of the National Police has told me of the arrest of the five offenders who [supposedly] committed this heinous crime. “Justice must now be served in the courts,” he stated in a tweet.
