Thief who would have participated in the robbery of the estate of 'Tino' Asprilla was sent to jail

In the middle of last March, former footballer Faustino 'Tino' Asprilla reported that criminals entered his farm, located in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca and stole several valuables from him. On April 10, one of the suspects was captured and, in the last hours, the man was sent to jail for his alleged involvement in the robbery of the former football player's property and surrounding estates.

This was announced by the Attorney General's Office in recent hours, noting that they succeeded in the prosecution of George Michael Orjuela Ríos, alias' Barbas', having enough evidence to point him out as one of the members of the criminal gang that has been stealing from farms in Tuluá and surrounding municipalities, including owned by the famous Colombian. Although the man did not accept the charges, he was ordered to comply with an insurance measure in the prison center.

For the investigating body, alias' Barbas' is part of the criminal network identified as 'Los Finqueros', who have been stealing livestock and valuables from farms in Valle del Cauca. Among the robberies that the authorities have been able to link to this criminal gang is one that happened on February 27 in the Sonso district, in Guacarí, where they stole 13 heads of cattle.

The second was on the farm of 'Tino' on March 13, in rural San Pedro, when several armed men entered the land owned by the former player and threatened the local workers. From the estate of the former footballer, according to the Prosecutor's Office, alias' Barbas' and his accomplices they took tools, clothing, jewelry, cash, and personal items of the victims.

Indeed, the Prosecutor's Office noted that 'Los Finqueros' used to carry out acts of torture on the occupants of the property; and subjected them with beatings, cords and discharges of electroshock weapons. In addition, they were able to establish that in the events of February 27, the defendant Orjuela Ríos sexually assaulted one of the workers on the farm.

In view of the evidence collected, a prosecutor from the Valle del Cauca Sectional charged alias' Barbas' with the crimes of torture, aggravated and qualified theft, harassment, violent sexual act, damage to other people's property; and the manufacture, trafficking, carrying or possession of firearms, accessories, parts or ammunition. Although the man did not accept the charges, he must remain in prison.

It should be recalled that Orjuela Ríos was captured on April 10 in a joint effort between the CTI and the Military Gaula in Tuluá (Valle del Cauca). At the same time, another noted member of 'Los Finqueros', identified as Óscar Esquivel Gil Osorio, was arrested in Guacarí (Valle del Cauca). This man was prosecuted for the crime of manufacturing, carrying or trafficking in narcotics.

In a triune, Asprilla showed the face of the alleged thief and invited Colombians to report whether they become victims of robberies and other crimes. “I want to congratulate the CTI in Bogotá and the Gaula del Valle del Cauca for the capture of one of those involved in the robbery at my San Jerónimo farm, on March 13 of this year,” can be read in the text shared by the former footballer.

After the robbery became known, Tino' appeared on the program 'I know everything', on Channel 1, and revealed more details of what happened. According to his account, it was the fifth time that criminals entered to rob that estate in their native Tuluá: “They put a gun to the head of the butler, the person who is there. They even threatened him, that if he didn't hand things over, they would go after the children.”

Following this, the historical reference of the Colombian national team confessed that he is not usually on his farm due to various commitments; but, if he is present, he declared that he would not be intimidated by the presence of the robbers: “Someday they will find me on the farm and they will surely have to kill me, because I am not going to let myself steal”.

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