Key Facts
—Who. Yaneris Crespo Vázquez, 36, in Yabucoa, and Jazmine Rivera Roca, 47, in Ponce.
—What. Police activated their femicide protocol, used when a woman’s killing may be gender-based, in both cases.
—When. Both on Sunday 8 November 2026: Yabucoa before 4:00 am, Ponce about 10:30 pm.
—Open. A man sought in Yabucoa is not found; the Ponce gunman, police say, killed himself.
—As of 12 November 2026, 2:50 pm Puerto Rico time (18:50 GMT).
Puerto Rico police are investigating the killings of two women on Sunday 8 November 2026, one in Yabucoa and one in Ponce. Police activated their femicide protocol in both cases, a procedure used when a woman’s killing may be gender-based.
What Police Say About Yabucoa
A caller reported a dead person on road PR-908, kilometre 9.9, in the Jagüeyes district of Yabucoa, around 4:00 am on Sunday, according to El Nuevo Día, a San Juan daily; Primera Hora, another San Juan daily, put the discovery of the body at 3:45 am. Officers found the body of a woman with several gunshot wounds, identified as Yaneris Crespo Vázquez, 36, of San Lorenzo, who worked at a bakery, according to Primera Hora.
The police criminal investigations unit (CIC) in Humacao is looking for a man for questioning but had not reached him by Wednesday 11 November, Sergeant Johan Cantres of its homicide division told El Nuevo Día. Police are collecting security-camera video and trying to trace a red Toyota.
Police say the victim had no criminal record, no protection order and no domestic-violence complaint on file. They activated the femicide protocol from the start of the inquiry, Primera Hora reported.
What Police Say About Ponce
At about 10:30 pm on Sunday, a 9-1-1 call reported a woman shot in the Sombras del Real housing development in Ponce, according to Primera Hora. Police found two bodies in a car outside a house: Jazmine Rivera Roca, 47, and a friend since childhood, Gerardo Santiago Santiago, 49.
Inspector Daniel Justiniano, director of the Ponce criminal investigations unit, said a 39-year-old man, described by Primera Hora as her partner, fired at officers from the house, barricaded himself, and later killed himself in the house after negotiators and a tactical team were called. Police activated the femicide protocol and found no domestic-violence complaint or protection order in their records, Primera Hora reported, while NotiCel, a Puerto Rican news site, said authorities had not confirmed the motive.
A Reported Call for Patience
A local news report on Thursday 12 November said Women’s Advocate Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez, head of the government office that protects women from violence, told a press conference that it is too early to classify the two deaths while police investigate. We could not confirm the remarks with her office or in a second report, so they are reported, not confirmed.
The Wider Picture
Police have counted 32 women killed in Puerto Rico so far this year, 10 of them in domestic-violence incidents, Primera Hora reported on 9 November. The same report put femicides at this point last year at 37.
The Ponce killings raised the weekend’s toll to nine violent deaths on the island, according to NotiCel. Puerto Rico is a US territory, and its residents are US citizens.
What Is Not Known
Authorities have not confirmed the motive in either case, and police have not named a suspect in Yabucoa. Police have not publicly classified either case beyond activating the protocol.
Nothing yet shows how the man police want to question in Yabucoa is linked to the victim. He is not a named suspect.
What It Means for You
If you or someone you know is in danger in Puerto Rico, call 9-1-1 or the confidential 24-hour line of the Women’s Advocate Office at 787-722-2977. Anyone in crisis in the US can call or text 988.
Travellers and residents should follow police statements for updates, as the investigations are still open. More is on our Puerto Rico news page and in our timeline of earlier killings.
More: Puerto Rico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Sources: El Nuevo Día, 11 Nov 2026; Primera Hora, 10 Nov 2026; Primera Hora, 9 Nov 2026; NotiCel, 9 Nov 2026; Puerto Rico Women’s Advocate Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Puerto Rico’s Women’s Advocate?
Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez heads the Office of the Women’s Advocate, the Puerto Rican government agency that handles violence against women. The office runs a confidential 24-hour helpline.
What is the femicide protocol?
It is a police procedure used when a woman’s killing may be gender-based. Police activated it in both the Yabucoa and Ponce cases.
Has anyone been arrested?
No arrest was reported in Yabucoa, where police seek a man for questioning. In Ponce, the man police say fired the shots killed himself.
How many women have been killed in Puerto Rico this year?
Police counted 32 women killed as of 9 November 2026, 10 of them in domestic-violence incidents. The count comes from preliminary police statistics.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error