Argentina prosecutor seeks life sentence for officer's murder

A court in San Luis, Argentina, has moved the case against Julio Daniel Lescano to trial following an armed robbery in Cortaderas that resulted in the death of Chief Officer Renato Mauricio Fuentes. The prosecution has requested a life sentence for Lescano.

The incident occurred on September 20, 2024, at a residence in the El Prado subdivision. According to the prosecution, Lescano and accomplice Dolores Mauro Villegas Vieyra entered the home armed, threatening and restraining a woman and her son. The suspects stole firearms, ammunition, mobile phones, jewelry, two million pesos, and 3,000 dollars.

During the attempted escape, police arrived at the scene. An armed confrontation ensued between the officers and the suspects. Villegas Vieyra died the following day in a hospital after being wounded in the exchange. Lescano was arrested on September 22 near the border of San Luis and Córdoba. Judge Jorge Osvaldo Pinto has extended Lescano's preventive detention for 90 days.