Body Believed to Be Missing Girl Josnely Álvarez, 13, Found in Dominican River After Suspect Admits Knife Attack

Searchers found a body in the Dominican Republic's Yaque del Norte River on Tuesday, 6 October. Relatives say the body is that of the 13-year-old girl. She rode towards the river before dawn on Sunday 4 October with Edwin Reinaldo Rodríguez Cruz and a 16-year-old girl. He said on video that he attacked both with a knife.

Rodríguez Cruz says the girl then entered the water herself, and the 16-year-old escaped wounded to raise the alarm. His relatives handed him to police in Navarrete that Sunday night. Forensic scientists must now establish how the girl died, and her aunt disputes parts of his account.

How the Search Along the River Ended

Civil Defence sent about 60 members to search the river, backed by drones and a motorboat. On Sunday, the crews found a single flip-flop. A day later, they found clothing in the community of Mejía Abajo, and relatives identified it as the girl's. On Tuesday, a witness saw a body drifting in the current near Toma de Pontón, and volunteers searching downstream reached it first, according to people at the scene.

Francisco Arias, Santiago's Civil Defence director, said the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif) took charge. 'It is now a matter for Inacif, prosecutors, and police homicide investigators,' Arias told El Nuevo Diario. Her grandfather identified her at the scene. He said she bore several wounds, but Inacif has not publicly confirmed those or her identity. Her family scheduled the funeral in Navarrete for Wednesday, the day after the recovery.

What the Man in Custody Has Said

Investigators' preliminary findings place both girls with Rodríguez Cruz on security footage from a Barrero petrol station. In a filmed interview before he surrendered, he said he picked up the pair near a bakery and that a row broke out by the water. He denied pushing the girl and said he did not know what became of her, an account the authorities must test against the evidence. The timeline below shows the sequence.

Officers have not named the 16-year-old, a minor. She received medical care and support from a specialist unit for gender-based, domestic, and sexual crimes, the force said. Her aunt said the girls had never met Rodríguez Cruz before he offered them a paid ride. Early reports in the Dominican press link the case to alleged sexual abuse of both girls. Investigators have not confirmed those reports, and no court has ruled.

What Happens Next in the Investigation

By Thursday 8 October, no report showed a charge or forensic finding. Lawyer Wilson Guerrero told N Digital that prosecutors could seek up to 18 months' pre-trial detention in cases declared complex. Under the new Penal Code, he said, proven rape followed by death carries 30 to 40 years plus a fine.

Her father says the detained man should never have left prison, though no report confirms an earlier conviction. 'It is not enough that Edwin Rodríguez has been accused before,' Guerrero said, because only a final conviction triggers the tougher repeat-offender sentence. Another aunt asked President Luis Abinader for justice.