Jorge Ugalde faces judicial review in La Reina triple homicide case

A court has scheduled a hearing for September 24 at the Santiago Justice Center to review the pretrial detention of Jorge Ugalde Parraguez. Ugalde is the primary suspect in the triple homicide that occurred in La Reina on October 18, 2025, involving Eduardo Cruz-Coke and his two minor children.

Ugalde has been in preventive detention since November 2025. His defense attorney, Marcelo Castillo, has requested a review of these measures, arguing that the circumstances justifying his imprisonment have changed. The defense claims that evidence provided during the investigation has undermined the prosecution's hypotheses and seeks to replace pretrial detention with total house arrest.

The investigation, led by Prosecutor Francisco Lanas, is nearing its conclusion. The defense has indicated they will present new information, including potential discrepancies in how investigators handled witnesses, to challenge the prosecution's version of events.