Nearly a year after a Halloween night attack in Bogotá left university student Jaime Esteban Moreno dead, a transitional circuit court judge declared two men guilty of aggravated homicide as co-actors, rejecting claims that the fatal beating was a minor dispute and setting the stage for sentencing.
Court Convicts Two Men in Student Death
Almost twelve months after a violent confrontation cut short the life of a 20-year-old Universidad de los Andes student, the judicial process reached a definitive point on October 19, 2026. The Juzgado 801 Penal del Circuito Transitorio de Bogotá issued a guilty verdict dictado contra Juan Carlos Suárez Ortiz y Ricardo Rafael González Castro, identifying both men as co-actors in the aggravated homicide of Jaime Esteban Moreno Jaramillo.
#LoÚltimo | Condenan a dos personas por la muerte del estudiante universitario Jaime Esteban Moreno. Le contamos los detalles.Siga la señal de Noticias Caracol en vivo 👉🏻 https://t.co/Qn3x1ZNqNo pic.twitter.com/3HJmY82Uke
The ruling brings a formal end to the trial phase that began in June 2026. During the proceedings, prosecutors detailed how the young engineering student tried to avoid a larger confrontation by walking west toward the city’s downtown area alongside a companion after leaving a nightclub in the Chapinero district.
Attackers Tracked Fleeing Student Through Chapinero
Medical examinations conducted by forensic authorities determined that Moreno died at the Hospital Simón Bolívar from severe traumatic brain injuries, multiple skull fractures, and blunt force trauma to the thorax that culminated in a cardiorespiratory arrest.
⚖️Juzgado 801 penal circuito transitorio: #EnDesarrollo audiencia de lectura de #SentidoDeFallo de Ricardo González y Juan Carlos Suárez. Proceso por la muerte de Jaime Esteban Moreno estudiante de @Uniandes . Audiencia presencial-virtual en vivo. 👇🏻https://t.co/9q6OzJP2lg pic.twitter.com/VawpX17xYP
The sequence of events began in the early morning hours of October 31, 2025, following a Halloween celebration. Investigators established that Moreno and a friend sought transportation away from the establishment when Suárez Ortiz intercepted and attacked the student from behind. Rather than engage, Moreno attempted to withdraw from the scene.
Surveillance camera footage and witness testimony proved critical in reconstructing the pursuit that followed. Prosecutors outlined how the defendants tracked the fleeing student down a public roadway before launching a coordinated physical assault.
Judge Rejects Defense Arguments of Lesser Charges
Throughout the trial, the defense argued for lesser charges, suggesting the incident constituted a preterintentional homicide where the attackers allegedly intended only to cause minor harm rather than death. The presiding judge and the prosecution firmly rejected this defense, pointing to the extreme vulnerability of the victim during the final moments of the attack.
The court emphasized that joint responsibility stemmed from a shared agreement and functionally convergent actions rather than any automatic collective attribution. The judicial body noted that the victim’s helpless state was entirely apparent to the assailants as the violence continued.
#JUDICIAL | Inició la audiencia en la que se conocerá el sentido de fallo contra Ricardo Rafael González Castro y Juan Carlos Suárez Ortiz, procesados por la muerte de Jaime Esteban Moreno Jaramillo, quien murió tras recibir una brutal golpiza en la madrugada del viernes 31 de… pic.twitter.com/x4pU5wnBqg
Jaime Moreno’s inferior condition was directly perceptible to those who carried out the aggression, and thus the continuity of the violent acts under those circumstances allows for the rational inference that the defendants were aware of the material situation and that, despite this, they proceeded with their criminal actions. According
Prosecutors highlighted that Suárez Ortiz possessed training in martial arts, while González Castro delivered the forceful kick to the back that knocked the victim to the pavement. The court also took note of severe remarks attributed to associates of the group during the altercation, including statements from witnesses who recorded or observed the brutality.
Prosecution Seeks Long Prison Terms While Third Suspect Avoids Capture
With the guilty verdict secured, the case moves toward the individual sentencing phase. During earlier hearings, the prosecution requested prison sentences approaching 37 years, while representatives for the victim’s family advocated for a harsher penalty of 45 years behind bars.
#ATENCIÓN | @CaracolRadio conoció que el sentido de fallo contra Juan Carlos Suárez Ortiz y Ricardo Rafael González Castro por el crimen de Jaime Esteban Moreno Jaramillo es condenatorio. A pocos días de cumplirse el primer aniversario de la muerte del joven, son condenados los… pic.twitter.com/5ks5ANWVK6
Authorities maintain an open arrest warrant and a reward offer for Kleidyar Paola Fernández Sulbarán, whom investigators identify as the woman in a blue dress who accompanied the attackers and allegedly helped instigate the violence outside the venue.
More on Juan Carlos Suárez Ortiz
Condenan a dos personas por la muerte de Jaime Esteban Moreno, estudiante de la Universidad de los Andes, tras una fiesta de Halloween el 31 de octubre de 2025. https://t.co/f0wz5K9jDc pic.twitter.com/KpzXyBh5He
Juez declara culpables a quienes mataron Jaime Esteban Moreno, mientras estaba indefensoTras casi un año de juicio, un juez de conocimiento anunció sentido de fallo condenatorio en contra de Juan Carlos Suárez Ortiz y Ricardo Rafael González Castro, a quienes procesaron como…