Puerto Rico Government Declines to Appeal Acquittal in Marine Biologist’s Shooting Death
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YAUCO, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice said Feb. 19 that it will not seek an appeal in the case of a nurse acquitted of murder after he fatally shot his neighbor. Eduardo Meléndez Velázquez was cleared Feb. 6 of killing marine biologist Roberto Viqueira Ríos after Puerto Rico Superior Court Judge Ángel Llavona Folguera ruled Meléndez Velázquez acted in self-defense during a July 2025 shooting outside their homes in the Estancias de Yidomar community. Meléndez Velázquez faced charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder, and weapons violations. Video captured by security cameras and shown during the trial appeared to show Viqueira Ríos shooting Meléndez Velázquez first, according to the San Juan Daily Star. Puerto Rico residents have followed the trial closely, partly due to longstanding neighbor disputes between the families, and are wondering whether mechanisms already exist to stop these types of tragedies. Zabdiel Hernández, an attorney with Innova Law Solutions in Caguas, Puerto Rico, explained in an interview with Strategic Communication PR how Puerto Rico Law 140 could be used among neighbors before escalating the situation to authorities. Neighbors began conflicting over multiple issues dating back to at least 2020.
“A really important recommendation for anyone soliciting the law 140 against your neighbor is to make sure you are well represented.”
The disputes included problems with a dividing wall and loud noise. Neighbors told Univision News that Meléndez Velázquez would increase the volume on a speaker emitting the sound of a coquí frog toward his neighbor’s house. Viqueira Ríos and his family described the noise as deafening. Hours before the shooting on July 15, security footage shows the two neighbors shouting at each other from across the street. According to testimony reviewed by Univision, Viqueira Ríos began throwing stones at Meléndez Velázquez’s house, and then fired three times at his neighbor. Two seconds later, Meléndez Velázquez fired at Viqueira Ríos 11 times. His gun had been set to “double action,” discharging 22 rounds total. Neighbors told investigators that neither man dialed emergency services before firing their weapons. Forensic pathologist Carlos Chávez testified that Viqueira Ríos suffered six gunshot wounds. He was killed by a bullet through the forehead that obliterated brain matter. Alcohol was detected in Viqueira Ríos system; his blood alcohol content was .19%. The case was tried before a judge. Hernández said the defendants waived their right to a jury trial. He questioned if that could have contributed to Meléndez Velázquez being found not guilty.
“Would you rather be tried by one person or twelve people?”
In a news release, Justice Department officials said Solicitor General Omar Andino Figueroa oversaw a review of the case. Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres met with Viqueira Ríos widow, Moshayra Vicente Cruz, to personally notify her of the decision, according to the San Juan Daily Star. “We want to express our solidarity with Mrs. Moshayra Vicente Cruz and her daughters. The death of Roberto Viqueira Ríos will not be forgotten,” the agency said in a news release. “We will continue offering support to the family through the Office of Compensation and Services to Crime Victims and Witnesses.” The case continues to fuel debate across Puerto Rico over the territory’s gun regulations and the broader question of whether residents of the U.S. territory receive the same legal protections — including full jury trial rights — as those on the mainland. Watch the Interview video with Zabdiel below.