Police Kill "El Gordito" in Shootout at Santiago Hotel
A man wanted for a string of armed robberies in Santiago was killed in a clash with Dominican investigators. Police say he fired first.
Key points
- Rafael Antonio Uceta Acevedo, known as "El Gordito," 35, was killed at the La Sorpresa hotel in Pueblo Nuevo, Santiago.
- He had two active arrest warrants, issued in July 2026, for aggravated robbery.
- Police say he shot at the agents and a revolver was seized at the scene.
- The body was sent to the Inacif forensic institute in Santiago for an autopsy.
Agents of the Dominican Central Directorate of Investigation (Dicrim) killed Rafael Antonio Uceta Acevedo, known as "El Gordito," 35, in an alleged exchange of gunfire at the La Sorpresa hotel in the Pueblo Nuevo sector of Santiago. According to police, the man was found when he allegedly attempted to rob the establishment. When he noticed the agents, he allegedly opened fire, and a revolver he allegedly used was seized at the scene.
The dead man was wanted under two active arrest warrants, issued in July 2026, for his alleged involvement in several aggravated robbery cases. According to authorities, his criminal record dated back to 2014.
He was also accused of several robberies at villas, cabins and tourist complexes in Palo Alto, Jacagua. According to investigators, guests were robbed of money, jewelry and cell phones under threat of firearms. Some of these incidents were captured on security cameras, whose images, according to authorities, helped identify him. In one case at Villa Avani, police say a bank transfer of RD$50,000 was made under threats, and another RD$35,000 in cash and personal belongings were taken.
He was also linked to a 2022 robbery at the business Euro Aluminio S.R.L. In San Francisco de Macorís, from which roughly RD$190,000 was taken.
The reports differ on some details of the operation. Último Minuto says the incident happened on 6 de Septiembre street, near 30 de Marzo avenue, while N Digital places the shootout inside the La Sorpresa hotel. No details have been released so far about any injured agents.
Why it matters
Authorities link him to armed robberies of guests at villas and cabins in Palo Alto, Jacagua, a crime that affects visitors and workers in Santiago's tourism sector.