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 Jean Gagne of Quebec City was found dead in his Dominican Republic villa, with a bullet in his chest. Another bullet was found in the wall of his room. (QMI/Handout) |
Police say a security guard accused of murdering a Quebec man in the Dominican Republic confessed he asked an accomplice to shoot him in the left foot to confuse them in their investigation.
Jean Gagne, 42, of Quebec City, was shot and killed in his room at a private gated villa near Sousa, on the north coast just west of Puerto Plata, in the early morning of Dec. 31. Robbery appears to have been the motive.
The security guard was arrested. The accomplice and another individual are being sought by police.
Gagne and a friend had decided on a whim to visit the popular vacation spot a few days before Christmas, staying in the small private villa hotel owned by another Quebecer.
The house was enclosed by a 12-foot fence and protected by a guard.
On the evening of Dec. 30, the pair ate at a nearby restaurant before returning to the hotel around midnight. Police said they were accompanied by two Haitian girls.
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Around 2 a.m., the Gagne's friend who wishes to remain anonymous - was awakened by two men who tied him up and took his wallet, credit cards, money and his cellphone.
He was pistol-whipped as the thieves demanded his PIN, but then they left the room with him still tied to the bed.
A few minutes later he heard two gunshots from the next room. Police say a young woman was locked in the bathroom and Gagne was shot in the chest.
The security guard had been shot in the foot.
During interrogation, the police said they found inconsistencies in the testimony of the security guard, which made them suspicious.
Santo Martin Espinal, 25, was managing security for the fortified villa for three months. Police say he planned the robbery with a friend, with the intention of splitting the spoils.
General Rinela Lozada Montas of the Dominican National Police insists the killing is an isolated case and that security is good in the region, even though another Norwegian tourist was killed 48 hours before Gagne.
"The Dominican Republic is safe. It also has a policy for tourists. In this case, the problem is that the security guard was behind it," he said.
According to Montas, there was no order for the murder and the prime suspect was not linked to organized crime. He also had no criminal record.