After more than two days of keeping authorities and the population of Cienfuegos on edge, the man accused of multiple sexual assaults has finally been captured. Dunién Hernández, a resident of Reina Street, was arrested by the Special Brigade early Friday morning, according to Facebook user Saúl Manuel.
The suspect was apprehended at 4:00 am in the municipality of Aguada de Pasajeros, where he had managed to flee. The shared image shows him standing barefoot, wearing only shorts, and being held by two guards known as Black Berets.
On Thursday, several videos were circulated online showing how the community took to the streets in search of the aggressor. The recordings revealed the desperation of the population in the face of the police's inaction, despite the fact that the suspect's identity was known.
In one video, people were seen heading towards the Buenavista neighborhood refuge, where the fugitive was reportedly hiding. "Nothing here, the man doesn't want to come out. It's full there, full of youngsters; the police even left, and nothing happened. For those saying they caught him, it's a lie," said a woman who filmed everything with her cellphone.
"They haven't caught anyone here. They say he's inside, but he doesn't want to come out, and the police haven't gone to get him either," she added.
Confusion reigned in recent days due to the authorities' inefficiency, and with the silence of the official press, various versions of the alleged attacks multiplied. It is still uncertain how many women the suspect assaulted or whether the victims were minors or adults.
Indignation took hold of the city's residents, who proposed taking to the streets armed with machetes and sticks to capture him. This week, an alert was issued on social media about the presence of the alleged fugitive rapist, who was said to have attempted to rape a 14-year-old girl.
The information indicated that on Tuesday, the man "attacked a young woman on 35th Street between 52nd and 54th." "He put a knife to her neck and raped her; the police tried to catch him without success!" detailed a post by Jennifer Sánchez Rodríguez, who added that Hernández had previously raped a 14-year-old girl and stabbed a man in the Buenavista neighborhood.
"Cienfuegos is terrified by this; he's still on the street!" the post affirmed.
This version differed from that of neighbors of the alleged victim on Tuesday. They claimed that the man attempted to rape the daughter of a woman named Yamitsys, a teacher at Armando Mestre Primary School. He tore off all the girl's clothes, but she began to scream loudly.
The mother of the minor was taken to the police to give a statement on Wednesday morning, they said.
Key Questions about the Cienfuegos Rapist Case
To provide more insight into this disturbing case, we’ve compiled some key questions and answers that may help clarify the situation.
Who is the suspect in the Cienfuegos sexual assaults?
The suspect is Dunién Hernández, a resident of Reina Street in Cienfuegos.
Where was the suspect captured?
He was captured in the municipality of Aguada de Pasajeros at 4:00 am.
How did the community react to the assaults?
The community was desperate and took to the streets to search for the suspect, showing frustration over the police's inaction.
What efforts did the police make to capture the suspect?
The police made several efforts, but initially failed to capture the suspect despite knowing his identity.