Outrage in Valledupar over the death of a policewoman at the hands of her partner

The murder of National Police officer Vanesa de León Pertuz, which occurred on the morning of Saturday, November 29, in the Primero de Mayo neighborhood, in the northeastern part of Valledupar, has caused profound shock and outrage.

The main suspect in the crime is her partner, Giovanni Mauricio Durán Quintero, a prison guard with the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC), who subsequently attempted suicide.

According to preliminary information from authorities and witness statements, the incident occurred inside a home located at the intersection of Carrera 22 and Calle 24, the residence of the alleged assailant's mother. The policewoman, who was off duty, reportedly had a heated argument with her partner before the situation escalated violently.

During the altercation, Durán Quintero allegedly attacked Vanesa de León with a bladed weapon, inflicting multiple wounds to her neck, chest, and arms. These latter injuries appear to be evidence of a desperate attempt by the victim to defend herself. The officer died at the scene, and her body was found lying on the terrace of the property.

The screams and cries for help alerted neighbors, who immediately notified the police. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the policewoman without vital signs and, minutes later, found Durán Quintero seriously wounded. According to authorities, the man allegedly inflicted a neck injury on himself and attempted suicide by jumping from a third-floor window.

The prison guard was assisted by an ambulance and transported in serious condition to the Santa Isabel Clinic, where he remains under police custody. He was later arrested and, during legal proceedings, charged with the alleged crime of homicide with aggravating circumstances, as it is a possible femicide.

Vanesa de León Pertuz was a patrol officer assigned to the Cesar Police Department and served at the Chimichagua station, performing community policing duties. She was known for her institutional commitment and had served several years with the National Police.

Initial investigations indicate that the couple had been in a relationship for approximately eight years, and they had a five-year-old child together. Neighbors described them as a regular couple, although they noted that in recent weeks they had heard frequent arguments, but there was no known history of physical violence.

The commander of the Valledupar Metropolitan Police, Colonel Álex Durán Santos, indicated that the main hypothesis points to a crime of passion, stemming from a verbal confrontation that escalated into the attack. “It appears to have been a crime of passion: there was shouting, an intense argument, and then the knife attack,” the officer stated.