Home / Crime and Justice / Tragedy in PR: Wrong Turn Leads to Fatal Gang Attack
Tragedy in PR: Wrong Turn Leads to Fatal Gang Attack
30 Jan
Summary
- Scientist fatally shot after wrong turn into gang-controlled street.
- Couple targeted by armed men during Puerto Rico vacation.
- No arrests made as police face criticism over investigation.
A tragic wrong turn during a Puerto Rican vacation led to the death of 33-year-old scientist Omar Padilla Vélez.
Padilla Vélez and his fiancée, Kelly Crispin, were returning to his family home after a night out when he took a dark side street, believing it led to a freeway. Instead, their car was surrounded by a dozen armed men.
Amidst a barrage of gunfire, Padilla Vélez was struck in the head. He later died in the hospital from a stroke caused by a bullet fragment. Crispin sustained injuries to her hand and shoulder during the attack.
Authorities identified the location as a gang-run street, with locals reportedly unwilling to speak due to fear of retaliation. The investigation has been criticized for its slow pace, with the crime scene not visited for five days and initial interviews delayed.
Padilla Vélez, originally from Puerto Rico, had pursued a PhD at Cornell University and worked as a senior scientist for DuPont. His organs were donated following his death.
