SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 30, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging Jesús Abdiel Feliciano-Candelario with offenses related to two robberies and a carjacking, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. On April 1, the U.S. Marshals took Feliciano-Candelario into federal custody.
According to the Government’s allegations:
- In July 2019, at around 11:00AM, a man parked in front of an auto parts store in Bayamón with his 13-year old son. In the back of his car, the father had auto batteries that were going to be sold to the auto parts store as part of his business. While the father was in the store, Jesús Abdiel Feliciano-Candelario approached the 13-year-old boy and told him that he was going to take the batteries. When the father attempted to intervene, Mr. Feliciano-Candelario brandished a gun. Mr. Feliciano-Candelario and his accomplice then stole several car batteries from the victim’s vehicle.
- In August 2019, a couple arrived at their home in Bayamón around 8:30PM. While they were parking their car in the driveway, Mr. Feliciano-Candelario approached the wife, drew a knife, took her purse and demanded the keys to their van. When the husband refused to provide the keys, Mr. Feliciano-Candelario threatened to kill him. Mr. Feliciano-Candelario then drove off in the car, which contained over $1,700 in cash from the couple’s business.
- In September 2020, at around 11:20PM, Mr. Feliciano-Candelario and two accomplices robbed at gun point a To Go Store gas station in Toa Baja. They stole over $300 and merchandise.
The five-count indictment charges carjacking, violations of the Hobbs Act, and related firearm offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette Collazo of the Violent Crimes Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case. The FBI is in charge of the investigation. If convicted, the defendant faces a sentence of up to fifteen years for the carjacking, up to 20 years for the Hobbs Act robberies, and not less than fourteen years in prison for the firearm offenses.
An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
