Former boxer Félix Verdejo found guilty of kidnapping, killing pregnant woman

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Former boxer Félix Verdejo on Friday was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and intentionally killing an unborn child, officials say.

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In a news release, the United States Attorney’s Office District of Puerto Rico said that a federal jury Friday convicted Verdejo, a Puerto Rico native, on charges released to the killing of Keishla Rodriquez Ortiz on April 29, 2021.

Based on court records and evidence presented at trial, a jury found that Verdejo and his co-defendant, Luis Antonio Cádiz-Martínez, both committed a kidnapping that resulted in the death of Ortiz and her unborn baby, the attorney’s office said.

The trial lasted about 25 weeks, according to The Associated Press.

On April 29, 2021, the attorney’s office said Verdejo went through with a “premeditated plan to murder” Ortiz and her unborn baby. She was reportedly lured into Verdejo’s vehicle with the help of Martínez. Drugs were injected and she was tied to a cement block with a metal wire. Verdejo drove Ortiz to the Teodoro Moscoso bridge and both men threw her over into the San José Lagoon.

The attorney’s office said Verdejo later jumped into the lagoon “to finish murdering both victims.”

Witnesses told officials, according to a criminal complaint obtained by CNN, that Verdejo wanted Ortiz to terminate the pregnancy after she shared the news with him.

“We stand firmly with the family of Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz and all those in the community who sought justice for this senseless, cruel, and heinous act of premeditated and cold-blooded violence against Keishla and her unborn child,” said United States Attorney Muldrow, in the news release. “I also commend the hard work, dedication, and relentless pursuit of justice by federal and local law enforcement, including the FBI, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, the Puerto Rico Forensic Science Institute, and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, as well as the prosecutors and professional staff in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

“There are damages which cannot ever be repaired, not even by a just verdict,” said FBI San Juan Special Agent in Charge, Joseph González, in the news release. “In cases such as these, all we can do is give our all in the pursuit of justice. Today, I can say that my team did exactly that, and I am proud of their dedication. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the amazing work and the jury for their service. We did what we do and justice was served.”

The jury could not reach unanimous verdicts for the intercepting and stealing of a vehicle with the consequence of causing death or carrying a weapon to commit violent crime charges, the AP reported.

Verdejo is expected to be sentenced on Nov. 3 and is facing a sentence of life in prison, according to the AP.