The Temuco Guarantee Court has ordered pre-trial detention for Emanuel Ochoa Navia, who is accused of murdering his niece, Francisca Millahual, at a residence in the Araucanía capital.
The defendant faces charges of femicide and illegal possession of a firearm. During the formalization hearing, Ochoa Navia presented a version of events that contradicts evidence gathered by prosecutors.
The suspect was located in the town of Lanco after being turned over to the police by members of the “Mensajeros de Cristo” evangelical community. While on the run, the man had been staying in an abandoned bus near a service station.
The defendant's account and the prosecution's rebuttal
Ochoa Navia claimed the incident occurred at his mother's home, where the victim was staying during the early hours of April 7. According to his statement, the young woman invited him to drink wine and began handling a firearm that allegedly belonged to her.
The accused stated that after she made motions as if to shoot herself, the weapon discharged, striking the young woman in the chin. He claimed that following the incident, he threw the weapon into the Cautín River before fleeing south.
However, Prosecutor Patricio Montecinos rejected this account. The prosecutor noted that the defendant's version "does not match the crime scene or the other injuries the victim sustained."
The Prosecution highlighted that no gunpowder residue was found on the young woman's hands. Furthermore, authorities questioned his actions following the crime, specifically that the defendant wrapped the victim in a blanket before fleeing.
Meanwhile, the public defense, led by attorney Patricio Salinas, argued that the case should be treated as simple homicide rather than femicide, though they acknowledged that their client faces prison time under either charge.
Juan Alberto Arriagada, the victim's brother and the detainee's uncle, expressed a need for clarity regarding the incident. “There are two versions of what happened, and all we want is for the Prosecutor's Office and the PDI to do their jobs,” he said.
The defendant has a prior criminal record for domestic violence.