Alex Ramon Maquera

Case record

Overview

Alex Ramón Maquera Atencio, alias “Loco del Martillo”, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2005 for qualified homicide and rape against the minor H.Z.P. He was also ordered to pay a civil reparation of 120 mil nuevos soles to the heirs of the victims.

Timeline

• 20 diciembre 2004 — The population of Tacna was reported as being in shock after a serial killer confessed to killing eight people with a hammer, including six relatives and four children.
• 24 diciembre 2004 — Four victims were reported as being buried: Priscila Maquera Atencio, Jacqueline Villalobos Maquera, Diego Villalobos Maquera, and Iván Cusihuallpa Maquera.
• 24 diciembre 2004 — Police were reported to have exhumed six bodies wrapped in blankets and tied together as fardos.
• January 2005 — A confession and investigation narrative referred to Maquera having killed a friend in January.
• 2 noviembre 2005 — He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Noviembre 2005 — The case status recorded him as condemned to life imprisonment.

The offence

Maquera killed eight people with hammer blows and also assaulted victims sexually. The killings included members of his own family, and the narrative described cráneos destrozados and victims wrapped in blankets tied with ropes, with bodies buried in a pit he had workers dig.

The first victim was reported as his friend José Alfredo Ninaja Vélez (26), who was struck with a hammer and strangled, with the incident reported to have occurred on 24 January in the street Modesto Molina 272 where the victim lived.

The killings of family members were described as occurring in March, including:

• his sister Priscila Maquera Atencio (32)
• his brother-in-law Rafael Pezo Gutiérrez (25)
• four nephews/relatives: Jacqueline Villalobos Maquera (7), Diego Villalobos Maquera (12), Iván Cusihuallpa Maquera (17), and Amalia Teresa Zapana (13)

Maquera also killed the merchant Fidel Mina Mamani (45). He was reported to have lured the merchant to his home in the district of Gregorio Albarracín with the pretext of selling used objects. After a dispute, he struck Fidel Mina with a hammer and then strangled him. He was also reported to have purchased tools (a sierra, a serrucho, and a machete) to dismember the body and to have been found in the house where there was blood throughout the scene.

A confession narrative described that Maquera had “mató a martillazos” (hammered) several victims, and that some victims were strangled and others decapitated or disfigured, with references to cutting throats and to victims being stabbed, degollamientos, and mutilation descriptions as provided in the record.

The record also included details that Amalia Teresa Zapana Pezo (13) was reportedly rendered unconscious with a hammer and had her neck cut, after which Maquera sexually assaulted her while she was agonizing.

Investigation

Police investigations escalated quickly to incarcerate Maquera. He was described as not showing remorse during interrogations.

The record described a police finding of violent film material at Maquera’s domicile, and it stated that investigators viewed a pornographic film titled “Vedettes al desnudo” and other violent animated films, suggesting an inspiration connection between the film and Maquera’s crimes.

It also reported that a contradictory point in Maquera’s answers about the whereabouts of Fidel Mina Mamani led to suspicion.

The record included statements about motives and behaviour:

• The crimes were described as motivated by money, which he used for drugs and night outings.
• The police established the motive as money used for diversion and addiction to drugs.

A comandante Máximo Gálvez was reported as ordering two expert assessments: one psychiatric and one grafotécnico, to clarify issues regarding letters he allegedly falsified using the names of the victims.

Evidence and scene descriptions

Police were reported to have found in Maquera’s possession: a knife, a machete, an afilador, and a martillo (sometimes described as oxidized).

In one narrative, Maquera was reported to have been found in the middle of a scene where the place was “totalmente salpicado de sangre” and where investigators found signs of the killings throughout the home.

The record described that workers were hired to dig a pit and that six bodies were later exhumed after excavations. The exhumed bodies were described as wrapped in blankets and tied with cables/electrical wires, emerging after several hours of excavation.

Arrest and custody

Maquera was reported as being detained in his home in Tacna after the disappearance of Fidel Mina Mamani. The record described that Lucía Cauna went to the house to inquire about her husband Fidel Nina Mamani, and after waiting and informing police, Maquera was approached and searched.

When approached, police discovered the bag/kit of tools and arrested him. The record described him being taken to the Cercado de Tacna police station area and then to División de Investigación Criminal (Divincri) for interrogation.

There were also accounts of him being held under strong police custody and being brought to the reconstruction of crimes.

Trial and sentencing

On 2 noviembre 2005, Maquera was sentenced to life imprisonment (“cadena perpetua”) by the Sala Penal presided by magistrate José de la Barra, with vocales Ramiro Bernejo and Jorge Armaza. The sentencing was for:

• homicidio calificado
• violación contra la menor H.Z.P He was also ordered to pay a civil reparation of 120 mil nuevos soles in favour of the heirs of the victims.

During the reading of the sentence, Maquera was reported as keeping silent and with his head down. After the reading, vocal Jorge Armaza asked whether he was in agreement with the sentence, and Maquera replied: “me reservo el derecho”.

Visibly, the record described families of the eight victims maintaining themselves at the doors of the Penal de Pocollay demanding the maximum penalty.

The record named the lawyers of the families as Hugo Mora and Jaime Gallardo. They reportedly expressed agreement with the sentence and stated that while civil reparation would not return their loved ones, it would be a moral support.

People involved

Defendant

• Alex Ramón Maquera Atencio — alias “Loco del Martillo”; convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The record repeatedly identified him as a medicine student (25) and described him as an adicto a las drogas in some narratives, and as having been described by experts/police in other narratives.

Victims

The record listed these victims by name and age:

• Fidel Mina Mamani (45) — merchant
• José Alfredo Ninaja Vélez (26) — friend
• Priscila Maquera Atencio (32) — sister
• Rafael Pezo Gutiérrez (25) — husband of Priscila; brother-in-law
• Jacqueline Villalobos Maquera (7) — nephew/relative
• Diego Villalobos Maquera (12) — nephew/relative
• Iván Cusihuallpa Maquera (17) — nephew/relative
• Amalia Teresa Zapana Pezo / Sapana (13) — minor relative; described as sexually assaulted while incapacitated/agonizing
• H.Z.P — named in the legal sentencing context as the minor in the rape conviction (as written in the case summary)

Additional people named

• José de la Barra — magistrate who presided the Sala Penal
• Ramiro Bernejo — vocal
• Jorge Armaza — vocal; director de debates vocal who asked about the penalty
• Hugo Mora — lawyer for victims’ families
• Jaime Gallardo — lawyer for victims’ families
• Oscar Ponce Begazo — fiscal who commented on the bodies’ conditions in the narrative
• Priscila’s spouse details and related family mentioned in the narrative:
  • Rafael Pezo Gutiérrez (25) named as the spouse of Priscila
• Lucía Cauna — person who visited the Maquera house to inquire about Fidel Mina Mamani
• Máximo Gálvez — comandante who ordered two expert assessments (psychiatric and grafotécnico)
• Regina Maquera — sister (mayor sister in the narrative) who stated she believed the homicide involved pressure/blackmail by a partner; she said: “Ella lo presionaba, lo chantajeaba, mi hermano no tenía trabajo".
• Francisco René Villalobos Huanca — named as Alex’s ex cuñado (as written in the record); the record included Maquera saying: “Nadie me ayudó en las matanzas, yo sólo lo hice, nadie me contrató”.

Quotes (verbatim)

• Maquera replied when asked if he was conform with the sentence: “me reservo el derecho”
• Maquera was quoted in reference to responsibility and whether he was hired: “Nadie me ayudó en las matanzas, yo sólo lo hice, nadie me contrató”
• Regina Maquera said: “Ella lo presionaba, lo chantajeaba, mi hermano no tenía trabajo"

Aftermath and related burial account

Four victims were reported as buried on 24 diciembre 2004 at the Cementerio General de Tacna: Priscila Maquera Atencio (32), Jacqueline (7), Diego Villalobos Maquera (12), and Iván Cusihuallpa Maquera (17). A mass was described in the record, with the párroco Mesías Neyra lamenting violence in Tacna and stating: “la falta de valores en las personas las convierten en animales que quieren comerse los unos a los otros.

The record also described the family having to request support from the Beneficencia Pública de Tacna because the family did not have sufficient resources to pay for funerals, and officials obtained a space in the cemetery mentioned.

Other details

The record described that Maquera wrote letters to family members to conceal the disappearance, allegedly using the names of the victims, including letters communicating travel to Arequipa. The record described an alleged plan discussed with sisters at a birthday.

The record also described a burglary/lure element around tools sold as second-hand objects, including a pretext of selling a heladera (as one narrative detail).

A narrative included that Maquera was described as having no remorse in interrogations and as demonstrating “serenidad y cinismo espeluznantes,” with a fiscal remarked: “Propios de una mente insana en laque parece que no hay muestras de arrepentimiento por los crímenes cometidos a sangre fría”.