Félix Hernández Ocares was placed in pretrial detention as the accused in the homicide of Jorge Gutiérrez Martínez, which occurred on October 3 in the Lomas de Oriente II area of Chillán, in the Ñuble region. The Chillán Guarantee Court ordered the measure this Saturday, according to BioBioChile.
Pretrial detention is a precautionary measure: the accused remains deprived of liberty while the investigation proceeds. It does not constitute a conviction, and Hernández retains the presumption of innocence.
According to the information presented at the formal notification hearing (the proceeding in which the Prosecutor's Office formally informs the accused that he is being investigated for a crime), the incident occurred at around 07:15 at the intersection of Santa Lucía Street and Cerro Puntiagudo Lane.
At that hearing, the Prosecutor's Office maintained that Hernández approached Gutiérrez and allegedly attacked him with a bladed weapon, causing a wound to his chest. The victim managed to walk a few meters before collapsing.
People in the area tried to help him. Gutiérrez was taken to Chillán Hospital, where he died due to the severity of the injury.
Detectives from the Investigative Police's Homicide Brigade (PDI) arrested Hernández following a series of investigative steps to establish his alleged involvement. The sources do not specify the date of the arrest.
Chillán prosecutor Ingrid Urrutia told La Tercera that the court accepted the Public Prosecutor's Office's arguments about the danger to public safety that the accused's release would pose. The sources consulted do not include the defense's position.
The court set a three-month investigation period, with the Prosecutor's Office conducting the investigation alongside the PDI's Homicide Brigade. At the end of that period, the Prosecutor's Office may decide whether to file charges against Hernández.