Andina

Sergio Tarache, woman's murderer who burned her alive, extradited to Peru

Photo: ANDINA/Ricardo Cuba

Photo: ANDINA/Ricardo Cuba

09:41 | Callao (Callao region), Jan. 31.

Venezuelan citizen Sergio Tarache, the confessed murderer who burned his ex-partner Katherine Gomez alive in March 2023, arrived at the Police Aviation base in Peru's Callao region, extradited from Colombia, to be tried for the crime of which he is accused.

A Peruvian National Police (PNP) aircraft landed at said airport on Tuesday at 9:20 p.m. (local time) following stopovers in the cities of Leticia, Colombia; and Tarapoto, Peru.

Strongly escorted by police agents, Tarache —who was arrested in Colombia in April 2023 once he had fled to that country after committing the crime— was taken off the plane handcuffed, wearing blue jean pants, a black jacket, and a bulletproof vest.

He was immediately placed into a PNP vehicle to be driven to the corresponding facilities for legal proceedings. He will undergo judicial identity control check, and then be transferred to the prison determined by the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE), where he must serve the 9-month pre-trial detention ordered by the Judiciary.

Meanwhile, a group of people gathered outside the police base, representing feminist organizations and Cinthia Machare herself, the victim's mother, demanded that the murderer be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Colombian authorities extradited Tarache to Peru. He is accused of burning his ex-partner alive near Lima's Plaza Dos de Mayo (May 2nd Roundabout) in March 2023, after being detained for almost one year in Colombia.

However, Tarache Parra fled from Peru to Colombia after the femicide that occurred on March 18, 2023. He is accused of dousing his ex-partner, Katherine Gomez Machare, with gasoline and burning her alive.

On that night, seven pedestrians tried to help the victim, whom they made roll on the asphalt to put out the flames. Then, a taxi driver even brought a fire extinguisher to help the victim. Nonetheless, the attack caused burns on 60% of the woman's body that led to her death after a week in hospital.

Tarache was arrested in Bogota less than a month after his escape, on April 12, 2023, and was placed under pre-trial detention, while Colombian and Peruvian authorities began the extradition process to Peru.

On May 9, the Peruvian Government approved the request for his extradition. Since then, the Public Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry have been working to obtain the relevant response from Colombian authorities, so that Tarache can be prosecuted in Peru for the alleged commission of the crime against life, body, and health in the form of femicide, to the detriment of Katherine Gomez.

The Prosecutor's Office and the Peruvian Government request a life imprisonment sentence for the alleged murderer, considering the cruelty and malice aforethought of the acts committed by him as sufficient reason to require that punishment.

(END) LIT/MVB

Published: 1/31/2024