In the early morning of January 25, 1997, the criminal gang “The Horneros” murdered the NOTICIAS photojournalist Jose Luis Cabezas. The hitmen responded to the orders of the then mysterious and powerful businessman Alfredo Yabran, and his head of security, Gregory Rios. They shot Cabezas in the back of the head, twice, and then set fire to his body, inside the Ford Fiesta that NOTICIAS had rented so that the photographer could cover the summer season of that year. However, despite the fact that this fact became one of the most painful and emblematic police events in the history of journalism, 26 years after the murder of Cabezas, his murderers are free.
Gustavo Prellezo, the former commissioner of the Buenos Aires Police and author of the two shots that killed Cabezas, is free. From 2010 onwards, the Criminal Court of Appeals and Guarantees, Room No. 1, granted him various prison sentences: he was able to serve part of his sentence at home, until he was granted parole in 2017, when he had not yet served his sentence. sentence. He graduated as a lawyer and enrolled in the Quilmes professional association, although the rejection of his colleagues caused his enrollment to be vetoed. He later managed to get accepted in the Federal Capital, despite the fact that a formal complaint was filed. He advertises himself as a lawyer on social media, where he is very active.
Silvia Belawsky, Prellezo’s ex-wife, was also convicted during the trial. In her case, she was not found guilty of the murder, but she was found guilty of making a false complaint for the theft of the car that her then-husband later used to commit the crime. She served her sentence and has lived in La Plata ever since. Her testimony was key to establishing the link between the executors and Yabrán.
Gregory RiosYabrán’s security chief, obtained house arrest in 2006. Seven years later, his sentence was served.
Horacio Braga and José Auge they also continue with their lives in La Plata. Braga worked as a solicitor, worked at the NGO “Directed Social Reinsertion”, in charge of helping prisoners to rearm their lives after prison, and also at the Kirchnerist Kbrones textile cooperative.
As for Auge, his son, José Luis, was arrested in February 2020, three weeks after he was released. Months later, in September, two of Auge’s nephews were arrested for attempted murder.
Alberto “The Hare” Gomezthe commissioner responsible for freeing the area for the Cabezas crime to take place, was arrested in 2020. He was captured by the police in possession of war rifles, knives, ammunition and telescopic sights, all without a permit to carry.
The case did not advance, and he was released despite the fact that it is a non-releasable crime. According to a source consulted by NEWS at the time, this would have been possible thanks to the power and contacts that “La Liebre” still maintains. Despite his life sentence, he served less than 15 years in prison.
Hannibal Luna, another of the policemen convicted of the crime of José Luis Cabezas, rearmed his life in General Madariaga, although his movements arouse many suspicions. Terranova, the chemical company in which he worked, signed an agreement for him at the time to keep a plot of land in the new industrial park.
However, in the Buenos Aires city there are those who point out that Luna himself is the owner of the company and that the initial investment would have been thanks to money from the Yabrán family. Despite having been released-he was the last of Cabezas’ assassins to be released-the social derision persists: the municipality of General Madariaga, where he lives and where the photographer was murdered, declared him persona non grata.
Sergio Gustavo GonzalezMeanwhile, he had been released in 2005, but returned to prison in 2015 for a cause related to drug trafficking.
As to Sergio Camarata He was released in 2006, but returned to jail in 2012, following a reversal of his sentence. He died three years later.
A similar fate befell Hector Retana, who died in prison in 2001 of cardiac arrest after suffering from an illness.
Alfredo Yabran He could never be tried, since five days after Belawsky’s testimony that led to his arrest request by the Federal Judge of Dolores, José Luis Macchi, committed suicide in one of his ranches in Entre Ríos. On May 20, 1998, cornered, the then all-powerful businessman chose to shoot himself in the mouth with a 12.70 caliber shotgun rather than face justice.
by RN
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