Editor’s Note, February 5, 2019 at 5:35 p.m.: Outlets originally reported that the five suspects arrested were possibly connected to Kevin Fret’s death. They have now said that this isn’t the case.
Over the weekend in Santo Domingo, five suspects were arrested in connection with the 2016 murder of Puerto Rican narco Carlos Giovanny Báez a.k.a. “Tonka”, who was a popular subject in songs by Ozuna, Anuel, Bryant Myers, Don Omar, Héctor “El Father”, and other urbano artists. Though Puerto Rican authorities have yet to confirm, Dominican police say that the members of the group are also suspects in the January 10th killing of queer trapero Kevin Fret, which took place in Santurce.
In Puerto Rico, officials are awaiting the suspects. “They were among the most wanted in Puerto Rico,” Raúl Negrón Caldero of the Special Arrests and Extraditions department of the San Juan police told Nuevo Día.
“The Homicide Unit will be investigating to learn whether there are links with [Kevin Fret’s] case,” Negrón Caldero continued. “For the moment, they are only accused of the death of Tonka. For security reasons, we can’t give other details.”
Dominican paper Listín Diario lists the Puerto Rican suspects’ names as Waldemar Febres Sánchez, Edison Merced Olivera, Joset Jomar Rivera Verdejo, Fernando Hilario Figueroa, and Dominican suspect Rafael Lorenzo Kiampool Peralta.
A San Juan judge set the bail for Febres Sánchez and Merced Olivera at $1.2 million each and they are expected to arrive in Puerto Rico today or tomorrow.
Earlier this month, Ozuna’s lawyer stated that Fret had been extorting Ozuna over a sex tape, and the singer apologized to fans for having appeared in the video when he was underage. Ozuna’s lawyer told members of the press that Ozuna was not the only urbano artist that Fret was blackmailing at the time of Fret’s death.
Ozuna was also present at the August 2, 2016 murder of Tonka, but told authorities that he fled the crime scene fearing for his life. Univision reports that on the night in question, Ozuna left behind his vehicle, passport, and a quantity of cash.