MIAMI – The trial of Rafael Otano, one of the vital two former Hialeah police officials accused of kidnapping a person and beating him up whilst on-duty, endured for the 5th day in Miami-Dade County courtroom Friday.
Friday morning’s complaints featured testimony from one of the vital detectives assigned to research the claims by way of the alleged sufferer, Jose Ortega-Gutierrez.
He claims that Otano, 27, and fellow officer Lorenzo Orfila, 22, answered to a Hialeah bakery, handcuffed him, and took him to a desolate house in Miami-Dade County to overcome him up.
Prosecutors charged each males with armed kidnapping and battery.
Detective Joseph Elosegui, with the Hialeah Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit, testified that he visited the alleged web page of Ortega-Gutierrez’s beating, about 10 days after it had taken position.
Elosegui mentioned it was once obviously used as a unload web page: he noticed trash and junk far and wide. But he mentioned he additionally famous that he didn’t see other people striking round within the house.
Prosecutors are looking to argue that it was once most unlikely that anybody else will have been liable for the thrashing.
During cross-examination, Otano’s legal professional tried to make the purpose that the truth that there have been pieces strewn far and wide obviously confirmed that folks do pass to that house and that there was once a close-by development web page.
He argued the dep. had in fact needed to arrange a different element as a result of youngsters had been identified to do bonfires in that house, subsequently, there will have been others within the house who beat the person up.
Elosegui additionally testified about Ortega-Gutierrez’s accidents.
“His face area appeared a little bit distorted on one side due to the swelling,” Elosegui mentioned. “I remember a laceration to the back of the head and he had swollen lips, and I believe his eye had indications of some type of trauma with bruising.”
Detective Magela Montalvo additionally testified that she amassed GPS knowledge to again up the alleged sufferer’s tale, even though protection lawyers have argued previous system defects solid doubt on whether or not that knowledge is correct.
The protection has labored to show what it calls inconsistencies in Ortega-Gutierrez’s tale, together with his preliminary description of a blond assailant.
“Rafael Otano’s not blond,” Otano’s legal professional mentioned.
“That’s correct, but his hair is darker than before,” Montalvo answered.
Otano’s legal professional requested Montalvo if she was once implying that he dyed his hair.
“He looks like he dyed his hair,” Montalvo mentioned. “I’m not saying his hair is blond. I’m just saying his hair looks darker.”
Montalvo additionally admitted that Ortega-Gutierrez’s description of a brief and overweight assailant doesn’t fit Otano.
Otano doubtlessly faces lifestyles in jail if he’s convicted.
Also charged within the case had been Ali Amin Saleh, a personal investigator, who prosecutors allege later presented Ortega-Gutierrez cash so he wouldn’t record the thrashing,
Juan Prieto Cofino, a notary, was once accused of fraud for notarizing a testimony Saleh allegedly requested Ortega-Gutierrez to signal.
Otano’s trial was once anticipated to proceed Monday.
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