EL MANTECO, BOLÍVAR, VENEZUELA – SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 Three-year-old boy was found dead, with his body lying in a sack on an abandoned property near the local airport. His father, Keiner Fortys Campos, was identified as the main suspect.
According to preliminary information, the boy was in his father’s care at the time of the incident. Campos subsequently went to the police and, according to media reports, told them where he had left the body. Reports initially stated that the child had died following an attack by his father, but a later forensic examination determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation resulting from inhalation of soil. An autopsy also reportedly revealed signs of sexual assault, according to several media outlets.
After the suspect was detained, local residents gathered outside the police station. The crowd subsequently forcibly entered the station, damaged its equipment, and attempted to lynch the man. Several armed individuals eventually took him away from the crowd on a motorcycle and handed him back to police. Campos was then taken for medical treatment and remains in police custody. According to the latest reports, the child’s mother has also been detained as part of the investigation.
