MIAMI – Jury starts to deliberate Tuesday in the case of Rafael Otano, who stands accused of beating a homeless man and covering it up whilst he was once operating as a Hialeah police officer on Dec. 17.
During the trial in Miami-Dade County court docket, the jury realized from 3 Hialeah Police Department officials —Sgt. Javier Barrios, Detective Hilda Nubia Reyes, and Officer Jeffrey Abascal — who testified for the prosecution on Thursday.
Barrios, who was once Otano’s manager on Dec. 17, and Reyes, who was once concerned in the police division’s inner investigation that adopted, mentioned Otano didn’t record detaining Jose Ortega-Gutierrez and didn’t come with it in his day-to-day record.
Abascal mentioned he and Otano have been the assistant officials once they replied to Los Tres Conejitos bakery, at 1912 W. sixtieth St., to a record of an “intoxicated male that was bothering customers.”
Abascal mentioned Officer Lorenzo Orfila, the assigned number one officer, discovered Ortega-Gutierrez in a liquor retailer within sight. Abascal mentioned he searched Ortega-Gutierrez, grabbed his pockets, and gave it to Orfila ahead of getting in his patrol automobile to apply the patrol automobile with Orfila, Otano, and Ortega-Gutierrez.
Abascal mentioned he determined to prevent following the patrol automobile at West seventeenth Court and 68th Street. Ortega-Gutierrez, who additionally testified right through the trial, accused Otano and Orfila of taking him to a far flung house of Miami-Dade County to beat him up and go away him there injured.
Ortega-Gutierrez was once 50 years outdated when a Miami-Dade police officer reported discovering him injured, and Ortega-Gutierrez instructed him Hialeah law enforcement officials have been to blame. Detectives investigated the record, and prosecutors charged Otano and Orfila with armed kidnapping and battery.
Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo Jr. and Hialeah Police Chief George Fuente terminated Otano and Orfila, who surrendered to face fees on Jan. 26. Orfila could also be dealing with a fee of authentic misconduct.
Ali Amin Saleh, a non-public investigator, later introduced Ortega-Gutierrez cash so he wouldn’t record the beating, in accordance to prosecutors. Juan Prietocofino, a notary, was once accused of fraud for notarizing a sworn statement Saleh allegedly requested Ortega-Gutierrez to signal.
Saleh is dealing with a fee of witness tampering. Circuit Judge Robert Watson set Orfila’s bond at $20,000 and Otano’s bond at $10,000 on Feb. 13, and ordered space arrest.
In Florida, an armed kidnapping fee is a first-degree criminal punishable via up to existence in jail, or up to existence on probation and up to $15,000 in fines. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Andrea R. Wolfson is presiding over Otano’s trial.
Assistant State Attorney Shawn Albuhoff prosecuted the case. Attorney Michael Pizzi defended Otano.
Coverage of trial
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