Jeremy Randy Del Valle, a 34-year-old American tourist, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Vieques resident Carlos A. Cruz Morales while driving recklessly or negligently and leaving the scene of the crash on April 25, 2024. He will serve 18 months in prison followed by six years of probation.

Two years after Del Valle caused Cruz Morales’ death, Judge Alexis Álvarez del Valle of the Fajardo Superior Court handed down the sentence in a case that has stirred outrage among Vieques residents.

Cruz Morales, 39, was riding a motorcycle along La Esperanza Road in Vieques when he was struck by a vehicle driven by a tourist who lived in Virginia. Cruz Morales died that same day.

The Puerto Rico Department of Justice said in a news release that the investigation required specialized scientific analyses that established Del Valle was speeding at the time of the crash.

While Cruz Morales’ family expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence, several young Vieques residents told the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI) they were frustrated by how long it took the Justice Department to handle the case. The sentencing hearing was postponed more than once.

Residents Denounce Preferential Treatment of Tourists in Vieques

Cruz Morales’ case shows that “tourists never face consequences for anything,” said Adriana T. Cepeda Clark, a 20-year-old Vieques resident studying communications at the University of Puerto Rico’s Río Piedras campus.

According to Cepeda Clark, Vieques residents often feel disappointed when they see how authorities handle legal violations by tourists on the island municipality, known as Isla Nena.

Cepeda Clark is part of a group of young Vieques residents who two years ago participated in Medioscopio, the CPI’s media literacy and citizen journalism project. During the project, the young participants expressed concern and frustration over what they described as preferential treatment of tourists in Vieques by local authorities and central government agencies.

The young residents reacted to the sentence in Cruz Morales’ death.

“The government laughs off certain things tourists do, like property damage and things like that,” said Julianis Fernández Quiles, a 20-year-old Vieques resident and Medioscopio participant.

Yamila Quiles Díaz, 14, also criticized how security guards and police officers turn a blind eye when tourists park their golf carts in places where parking is prohibited under Puerto Rico’s Vehicle and Traffic Law.

The young women agreed that authorities need to set limits on tourists.

“I hope they start taking steps now to hold tourists accountable for what they do, because they can’t always be allowed to get away with it,” Cepeda Clark said.

“I know that [the sentence] won’t bring him back to life, but he didn’t get the justice he deserved,” said Yamelia Díaz Carmona, 52, a Vieques resident.

According to Díaz Carmona, the way the Justice Department handled the case was troubling and showed little empathy. She also questioned whether a Puerto Rico resident who committed a traffic violation or crime anywhere in the United States would have received the same sentence.

“These people come from outside and do whatever they want … there’s no respect for our island. That’s how I see it,” Díaz Carmona added.

Both Cepeda Clark and Díaz Carmona said inadequate lighting in parts of the La Esperanza area of Vieques, as well as in the area known as El Gallito, near Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport, reduces visibility on the roads and puts Vieques residents at risk. Narrow roads and horses traveling along the island’s streets and roads add to the danger.

“Situations like these make people feel unsafe because imagine just walking along, minding your own business, and suddenly someone comes along, hits you and leaves you lying in the street …,” Cepeda Clark said.

This translation was generated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and clarity.