A fugitive accused of killing a New York family-of-four, including two young children, has been captured in the Dominican Republic.
Luis Francisco Soriano, 31, also known as Jefry Yevo, was arrested in Punta Cana, a popular resort town, where he fled after allegedly murdering a family-of-four, including two children aged two and four years old.
‘The horrific nature of this crime, which resulted in the tragic death of a family including two innocent children, rocked the very foundation of our society governed by law and order,’ US Marshal for Puerto Rico, Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, said.
Soriano was wanted by police in Irondequoit, New York, a suburb in Rochester, on four counts of second-degree murder as well as narcotics charges.
He and his brother, Julio Soriano, have been accused of killing 30-year-old Fraime Ubaldo, 26-year-old Marangely Moreno-Santiago, four-year-old Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno and two-year-old Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno.
Police say that the father was the cousin of the two brothers, WHEC reported.
Soriano was arrested after he finished his shift at the call center of a Punta Cana hotel on Wednesday, according to US Marshals.
Marshals said that Soriano fled to Puerto Rico following the killings before travelling by boat to the Dominican Republic.
In the early hours of August 31, 2024, the family’s charred remains were discovered in the basement of their on fire home.
Investigators confirmed that the gruesome deaths, that left veteran police shaken, were homicides after discovering stab wounds in the necks and chest of each victim, the New York Post reported.
Irondequoit’s police chief Scott Peters said that, in his 32 years on the job, he had never seen anything so horrific.
He described the scene at a press conference as ‘the worst thing I’ve ever seen’ and vowed to ‘bring these monsters to justice.’
Soriano’s brother, Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano, 34, was arrested on September 7 and indicted on murder, burglary, arson and kidnapping charges.
Pimentel-Soriano pled not guilty in court, WHEC reported.
‘Without a doubt, this is an exceptional job by the Deputy US Marshals of the US Marshals Service, both nationally and internationally,’ Ocasio-Ibarra said.
‘It is truly worthy of recognition, and our communities should feel reassured knowing that this fugitive has been captured and will face justice. Every case is important to us, but this one not only deeply impacted our communities in New York and Puerto Rico, it shook our entire nation.’
James Settles, a neighbor of the victim’s home, expressed to the outlet how pleased he was that the alleged killers had been arrested.
Settles said that he is reminded ‘everyday’ of the horror that occurred within their community as he looks across the street at their home.
In the days following the tragic murders, relatives and friends gathered to pay tribute to the victims with a makeshift vigil of balloons and stuffed animals.
A memorial still remains at the home, WHEC reported.
Luis Soriano will remain in Dominican authorities pending his extradition, marshals said.