Thread by @DavidBegnaud

This is Andrea Ruiz Costa, 35, of Puerto Rico
•She asked a judge in late March for a restraining order against her exboyfriend
•The judge said I want to hear both sides 1st
•She then went to police who investigated & sent a case to a prosecutor who approved it to go to a judge

•Everyone went to court: Andrea, her ex, her ex’s attorney but the prosecutor NEVER SHOWED UP.
•the judge never saw the threatening messages Andrea had
•I’m told that customary in Puerto Rico for prosecutors to be no shows
•the judge found no probably cause to arrest the ex

• Andrea was left to defend herself in front of the judge without a prosecutor present
•Shortly after the judge found no probable cause to arrest the ex Andrea went back to the first judge and asked that her restraining order request be withdrawn

•roughly a month later Andrea was murdered
•Her body was found partially burned
•The suspect? Her ex boyfriend
•Im told that the judge who found no probable cause to initially arrest the ex now says she will not hold domestic violence hearings unless the prosecutor is present

•Will Puerto Rico‘s attorney general @prsecjusticia now order prosecutors go to hearings where the prosecutor has already signed off on charges and the police say they believe there’s probable cause to arrest the individual?
Cc: @pedropierluisi

•”we all failed her” is what a high-ranking judicial official in Puerto Rico told me last night.
• Andrea went through all the proper channels to get help and she was turned down. Now she’s dead and the man she pointed the finger at is accused of killing her.

One more thing:The prosecution could have requested a review after the judge said there was no probable cause to prosecute the ex-boyfriend.The prosecutor never asked for a review of the case.

Lastly, I’m told from a source with direct knowledge of this case that Andrea went to the court hearing and the prosecutor - nor the police - never presented evidence that she gave to them showing the threatening messages from her ex-boyfriend. That is shocking.

The judge who heard this case & decided there was no probable cause to prosecute is the sister-in-law of the senate president of Puerto Rico. Many of you keep writing to me about that & yes it is true. That relationship had zero bearing on how the judge acted, as far as I know.