A former employee of the victim was arrested on the morning of this Tuesday as the main suspect in a home robbery that occurred on May 12 in the Niño Jesús neighborhood of Bella Vista, Itapúa department. The arrest took place during a search and seizure warrant executed in the Villa Santa María neighborhood of the Santísima Trinidad district.
Flaminio Franco, 38, was identified as one of three perpetrators of the violent crime. During the operation, agents from the Department of Investigations seized a black bag of the brand “Fasion,” a light-colored pair of jeans – both similar to those used by one of the robbers, according to the residence's internal security footage – and two cell phones: a blue Redmi and a black Redmi Note 11 Pro.
The materials were handed over to prosecutor Héctor Garay, head of Criminal Unit No. 2 of the Zona Colonias Unidas. According to the police report, Franco already had an outstanding arrest warrant for aggravated theft since 2024.
The victim, Marcelino Aquino, 65, is a construction chief and, according to police, had just completed a large job, leading the criminals to believe he kept the payment at home. During the robbery, the thieves took G$ 700,000 and three cell phones. Aquino's partner was identified as Bernardina Villalba.
Investigations indicate that Franco had previously worked as a laborer for Aquino, which may have provided the gang with information about the supposed amount of money in the residence. Police state that the other two members of the group have already been identified.