Fugitive Convicted of Homicide Tries to Escape into the Sea: Arrested in Antofagasta

Original article: Se lanzó al mar para intentar escapar: Detienen a prófugo condenado a 7 años de cárcel por homicidio en Antofagasta

The escape attempt of a convicted murderer who had been a fugitive from justice was thwarted by specialized SEBV personnel at Trocadero Beach. The individual, with a lengthy criminal record, will finally serve his sentence for a crime committed in 2023.

An unusual scene, combining police pursuit with a dramatic attempt to flee into the sea, unfolded on Thursday in Antofagasta. The individual involved was a 27-year-old man who had been sentenced to seven years in prison for a homicide committed in January 2023 and had been fugitive from the law.

According to reports, the operation leading to his arrest began around 1:30 PM when personnel from the Person and Vehicle Search Section (SEBV) of the Antofagasta Prefecture attempted to check the individual in a public area.

Upon realizing he was wanted, the suspect fled toward the coast, culminating in a leap into the sea at El Trocadero Beach in a desperate attempt to evade the police.

However, his escape was short-lived. Minutes later, unable to continue, he swam back to shore and was immediately apprehended by the police who had secured the area. The individual did not sustain any serious injuries.

Colonel Luis Muñoz, prefect of Antofagasta, provided details of the operation and the background concerning the arrested individual.

«Carabineros from the SEBV section of Antofagasta successfully captured an individual who had been a fugitive since 2023, with an outstanding arrest warrant from September 15 of last year for a homicide committed in Antofagasta,» stated the police authority.

He specified that «at the time of the arrest, this person also had an outstanding warrant for another crime involving robbery.»

This referred to a second arrest warrant issued on September 25, 2025, by the Coquimbo Guarantee Court for possession of items intended for use in burglaries, reported Diario de Antofagasta.

Fugitive and Convicted of Homicide

The arrest warrant for homicide is linked to an incident that occurred on January 18, 2023. That day, around 1:00 PM, Carabineros from the Antofagasta Norte Sub-Station discovered a person with multiple bullet wounds on Los Gorriones Passage.

Due to the severity of the injuries, the victim was rushed to Antofagasta Regional Hospital, where they succumbed around 3:00 PM the same day. Following an investigation by the Police Investigations (PDI), the perpetrator was identified, prosecuted, and ultimately convicted on June 6, 2025, by the competent court. However, the man never reported to serve his sentence, becoming a fugitive, as reported by Meganoticias.

Extensive Criminal History

According to police reports, the detainee was not only burdened with these two judicial orders. His criminal history includes two additional ongoing legal cases and nine police records, indicative of a habitual and highly dangerous criminal profile, according to authorities’ assessments.

The arrest is part of a Fugitive Search Plan executed by Carabineros, a strategy specifically aimed at locating and apprehending individuals wanted by the courts, with a particular focus on those deemed a high risk to the community.

«This outcome is the result of specialized investigative work and police intelligence conducted by Carabineros of the SEBV, whose main goal is to remove dangerous criminals who remain at large from circulation. With this arrest, we fulfill an outstanding court order and provide greater peace of mind to our community,» emphasized Colonel Muñoz.

Will Serve a 7-Year Prison Sentence

By instruction of the Antofagasta Guarantee Court, the convicted individual was immediately taken to the Preventive Detention Center (CDP) of Antofagasta, where he will begin serving his seven-year prison sentence for the crime of homicide.

The capture concludes a chapter of over two years of searching, ensuring that the judicial sentence will be enforced and reinforcing, according to police authority statements, the institutional commitment to public safety and the rule of law. The desperate plunge into the Pacific Ocean turned out to be the failed epilogue to his attempt to evade justice.

*Featured Photo: Diario de Antofagasta.