On a Tuesday morning in Santo Domingo’s National District, a 49-year-old local business owner lost his life following a fall from the fourth floor of the parking garage at Plaza Central, a popular retail hub along 27 de Febrero Avenue. The Dominican National Police has confirmed the incident, which sent waves of alarm through the mall’s workers and visitors who were on site when it unfolded around 11 a.m.
Authorities have formally identified the victim as Joselito del Rosario Paulino, the proprietor of Rapicell, a cell phone retail shop operating within the shopping complex. Known colloquially to many acquaintances by the nickname “El Siervo”, Paulino was remembered by fellow merchants in the mall as a soft-spoken individual deeply devoted to his Christian faith.
First responders assigned to the 9-1-1 emergency system were dispatched immediately to the Plaza Central location after reports of the incident came in. Law enforcement teams have since launched a full inquiry to piece together exactly what led to Paulino’s death. According to police spokesperson Colonel Diego Pesqueira, investigative teams are currently working through two key lines of inquiry: analyzing security camera footage from the mall and parking structure, and collecting formal statements from witnesses who were in the area at the time of the fall.
Early information from the investigation notes that a mall security guard told detectives he believes the fall may have been an intentional act by Paulino. However, law enforcement officials have stressed that no conclusions have been reached, and the case remains open and active as investigators work to confirm all circumstances surrounding the death.