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City Bell Psychiatrist Found Dead at Home as Prosecutor Detains Witness in Intensifying Probe

Officials await autopsy results following police reports of a ransacked house with blood and forced entry.

Overview

  • The victim was identified as Virginia Franco, 65, who lived alone on Avenida Cantilo between 15A and 17 in City Bell.
  • The inquiry is led by prosecutor Álvaro Garganta of UFI 11, who ordered the temporary detention of a presumed witness and the seizure of his cellphone.
  • Police, forensic teams and the prosecutor’s office spent hours collecting evidence at the residence while maintaining strict confidentiality about findings.
  • Based on scene characteristics, investigators are largely discounting suicide and considering a homicide hypothesis, though no cause has been officially confirmed.
  • Local reports say the detained man is a friend who called 911 and had access to the victim’s bank accounts, and the case remains labeled as an inquiry into the causes of death.