Suspect charged with murder of NYC man who was visiting Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny concert: Officials
Officials in Puerto Rico have charged a 37-year-old man for allegedly killing a tourist from New York who was visiting to attend a Bad Bunny concert.
Kalel Jorell Martinez Bristol has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 25-year-old Kevin Mares, who was shot and killed on Aug. 10, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice said in a press release obtained by ABC News on Friday.
Along with the first-degree murder charge, Martinez Bristol also faces "two additional charges under Puerto Rico Weapons Law, for possessing and carrying a firearm without a license, as well as discharging and pointing a firearm," officials said.
On Aug. 10 at approximately 4 a.m., Mares was with friends in La Perla, a neighborhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when a "heated discussion escalated" nearby, officials said. The suspect then shot and wounded two people and fatally struck Mares, who "had no relation to the altercation," officials said.
In an interview with WABC, Mares' parents described the 25-year-old as a "lovely son." While his parents are originally from Mexico, Mares and his younger brother were born and raised in Queens, his parents told WABC.
"He cared about all of us, his family, his friends. He has a lot of friends who's really going to miss him, too," his mother, Sandra Mares, told WABC.
The family will be holding a memorial service for Mares on Saturday.
Justice Secretary Lourdes L. Gomez Torres said Mares' death will "not go unanswered."
"The Justice Department will persevere so that the accused faces the judicial process with the full weight of the law," Torres said in a statement.
Martinez Bristol is currently being held on a $800,000 bond and is scheduled to have his next court hearing on Aug. 28, officials said.
