Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Man Charged in Fatal La Perla Shooting of Queens Tourist

Puerto Rico’s attorney general has vowed to pursue the case through the courts to ensure accountability.

Image
FILE - An aerial view of the seaside neighborhood of La Perla, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is seen on Aug. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo, File)
Kevin Mares, 25, was fatally shot in San Juan, Puerto Rico early Sunday, August 10, 2025. Mares was visiting San Juan with his girlfriend to attend a Bad Bunny concert. (Instagram)
Image

Overview

  • Kalel Jorell Martínez Bristol, 37, turned himself in on Aug. 15 and faces first-degree murder and additional weapons-law charges in the Aug. 10 shooting.
  • Authorities say Mares was an innocent bystander at a nightspot in La Perla when Martínez Bristol opened fire during an argument that wounded two local residents.
  • Mares, a 25-year-old from Queens, traveled to Puerto Rico to attend Bad Bunny’s sold-out residency in Old San Juan and was struck by a stray bullet.
  • The suspect is held on $800,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 28 as prosecutors prepare their case.
  • Family and friends held a wake in Queens on Aug. 16; a memorial Mass is scheduled for next week.