Arrest of Individual Wanted for Carjacking and Murder

FBI San Juan Division
Special Agent Moises Quiñones
February 26, 2010

On February 25, 2010, JORGE AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI, age 39, was arrested, without incident, at approximately 6:00 p.m. at his place of employment in Orlando, Florida by the FBI-Metro Orlando Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Orlando Police Department. At the time of his arrest, AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI had been employed for the past three years as a front desk clerk for a local motel in the Orlando, Florida area.

On February 26, 2009, AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI will have his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge from the Middle District of Florida in Orlando, Florida. It is anticipated AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI will eventually be remanded to the U.S. District of Puerto Rico to face the federal charges of carjacking and murder.

The criminal complaint states that on June 13, 2007, Leonardo Gamallo-Sotolongo, a well respected professor at the Inter American University in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico was carjacked and murdered by AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI. It is believed that sometime during the afternoon of June 13, 2007, Gamallo-Sotolongo left his residence in his gray 2007 Toyota Yaris and went to a local bank to cash a check in order to pay AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI for yard work done at Gamallo-Sotolongo’s residence. After cashing the check, Gamallo-Sotolongo met with AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI at an unknown location and never returned to his residence. Gamallo-Sotolongo was eventually reported missing to the Police of Puerto Rico.

On June 23, 2007, the Police of Puerto Rico recovered Gamallo-Sotolongo’s vehicle on a remote dirt road abandoned and completely burned in Isabela, Puerto Rico, and on June 26, 2007, the decomposed body of Gamallo-Sotolongo was recovered near a garbage dump also in Isabela, Puerto Rico.

The criminal complaint further states that during an autopsy of Gamallo-Sotolongo’s body, it was found that his cranium, facial skeleton, and ribs had been fractured and that he had sustained several stab wounds. The autopsy report concluded that the cause of death was homicide by severe trauma and stabbing.

AGUILERA-ENCHAUTEGUI is charged with carjacking/murder, and under the federal statute he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or may be sentenced to death.

This case is being prosecuted by U.S. District of Puerto Rico Senior Litigation Counsel Antonio R. Bazán.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint is not evidence of any guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.