Arequipa court releases driver investigated in death of journalist Heiner Aparicio

Juan Gabriel Aguirre Cáceres, the driver investigated for the death of photojournalist Heiner Aparicio Ojeda, has been released from the Socabaya prison. A court in Arequipa ordered the cessation of his seven-month preventive detention for alleged involuntary manslaughter, replacing it with appearance under restrictions and a 10,000 soles bond.

The release follows Aguirre Cáceres’ decision to utilize the “sincere confession” legal mechanism. This move reduced his potential sentence from six years to approximately four years and one month. Under current legal frameworks, preventive detention is typically reserved for crimes with a projected sentence exceeding five years; because the projected sentence dropped below this threshold, the court determined the requirements for continued detention were no longer met.

The family of Heiner Aparicio Ojeda has expressed strong opposition to the decision. They have questioned the validity of the driver’s reported residential ties, noting he lived in a rented apartment, which they argue does not guarantee his presence during the trial. Additionally, the family criticized the lack of formal notification regarding the judicial resolution and expressed concern over the prosecution’s inability to challenge the application of the sincere confession mechanism.

The incident occurred on May 6 in the Paucarpata district, when Aparicio and an associate were struck by a vehicle while changing a tire on Túpac Amaru Avenue.