Lightweight Felix El Diamante Verdejo Arrested For Carjacking Double Murder of Pregnant Girlfriend (Not His Wife) in San Juan
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
San Juan, PR (May 3rd, 2021)–“Justice for my daughter. Murders!” screamed Keisha Ortiz, mother of the deceased woman, after her daughter’s body was found floating in San Jose Lagoon in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The victim’s mother in Orlando, Florida, told reporters her daughter called her just before she disappeared Thursday, and stated her boyfriend Felix Verdejo was in route to her house to see the blood results of a new pregnancy test. She never called back.
Puerto Rican lightweight contender Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo-Sanchez has been arrested in conjunction with the carjacking, kidnapping, punching drugging, and double murdering his pregnant girlfriend Keishla Rodriguez Ortiz and their unborn child on Sunday May 2, 2021. The information was released by the Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Puerto Rico.
Verdejo, 23-2 with 17 knockouts, San Juan, Puerto Rico, last appeared in the ring on December 12, 2020, at The Bubble, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, when he fought for the World Boxing Organisation Inter-Continental Lightweight title against Masayoshi Nakatani and lost by stoppage in the ninth round, despite knocking Nakatani down twice.
Verdejo, who is married with a wife. had previously threatened Miss Ortiz. Her mother stated “I told her (to) be careful because he (Verdejo) had already threatened her, and told her not to have the baby, mentioning his (fear of losing his) career and his family.” Verdejo had known Rodríguez since high school, and their relationship had continued despite his marriage.
A criminal complaint filed by the FBI accuses Verdejo of punching Keishla Rodríguez in the face, then injecting her with a syringe filled with an unidentified substance, bought at a public housing complex. It alleges he then bound the arms and feet of his girlfriend with wire, and tied a heavy block to her before throwing her off Teodoro Moscoso Bridge in San Juan at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2021. The complaint further states Verdejo then shot at Rodríguez’s body as he stood on the bridge. Verdejo’s kidnapping and killing of Miss Ortiz was aided by an accomplice who is still at large and is sought. Videos taken near the bridge identified the vehicle of Verdejo and his license plate at the scene when the body was tossed.
Office Statement After The Tragedy by Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi stated “It is crucial we maintain this current level of attention to the crime of gender violence that is so lost, consternation and anguish it brings to our society. There should be no doubt we are in a state of emergency due to gender violence. We are all united in prayer, so the victims of this serious social evil have the peace that was stolen from them during their lives, so that their families have the comfort and strength they need to overcome this tragedy, so these crimes do not go unpunished, and we can eradicate the causes which promote and allow this violence (to occur). The pain, anger and indignation we feel, every time we witness a crime of gender violence, has to be kept alive in us ,so we do not rest in our responsibility to protect, prevent and abolish this evil, as well as to do (realize) justice for all the victims. Every day, we (will) continue working to create a society which values life, respects human dignity, and rejects violence in all its forms. We have to fight this battle until we win it.”
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