In the early hours of last Monday, one of the receptionists athe Plaza Mayor 44 hotel, located in the La Alpujarra sector, next to the Antioquia governorate, in Medellín, was the victim of violent physical and verbal aggression by one of the guests.
The images in which the man is seen following the young woman to the door of the 3-star establishment with only a towel around his waist, They are part of a process for personal injuries that was opened against the guest, who was initially said to be a foreigner.
READ ALSO
The background
Complaint of assault in Medellín. Photo:Taken from social networks.
Manuel Villa, secretary ofe Security of Medellín, assured that this is a Colombian citizen who was being prosecuted in a room of a medical center where he was taken after he suffered seizures, apparently linked to the consumption of some type of substance.
EL TIEMPO investigated and established that the captured person is José Abelardo Rocha Moncada, native of Paime, Cundinamarca, and 38 years old.
READ ALSO
As confirmed to this newspaper by judicial sources, the subject has a history of homicide and carrying weapons.
🔴Security cameras captured the physical and verbal aggression that a citizen committed against a hotel employee in Medellín, after she refused to enter her room. pic.twitter.com/eoRDSH0mNW
— EL TIEMPO (@ELTIEMPO) May 5, 2026
Indeed, he appears in a trial for these crimes that dates back to March 5, 2023 in which he was linked to the homicide of Hoverney Rodiño Bravo, 21 years old.
The criminal news of the murder trial of Rocha Moncada. Photo:Private file
According to documents to which this newspaper had access, the young man apparently was stealing a taxi in the center of Medellín. Rocha Moncadawho was in a white Toyota Prado truck, shot him, causing his death.
At the time he declared that the weapon had a permit to carry and that the alleged thief had approached him with the knife in his hand.
READ ALSO
The subject appeared before the Prosecutor’s Office and the process was terminated after the prosecuting entity argued that there was legitimate defense.
EL TIEMPO investigated and established that the subject appears to be the owner of a criminalistics company. This is Legal Advice and Investigations and Criminalistics JR based in Bogotá and registered in March 2017. In addition, he was a military man.
Hotel employee speaks
The Plaza Mayor 44 hotel where the events occurred. Photo:Social networks
Sources in Medellín assured EL TIEMPO that Rocha Moncada had already He had an altercation in that city with another group of people, for which he was captured on May 1. However, he was released.
EL TIEMPO contacted a hotel worker, who asked not to reveal her name for security reasons, and began by pointing out that the guest had been staying at the hotel since Sunday: “He asked her for some clothes and asked her to go into his room. She did not agree and went down to the first floor to call the boss. The man was shouting from his room and that’s when he went to the reception.”
In addition, he assured that the subject hit the employee in the face and later he began to convulse.
“As a result of what happened, another worker commented on another obscene action by the man”said the employee.
And he concluded by saying that the victim will file a complaint for personal injuries.
TIME tried communicate with Rocha Moncada’s attorney, but she did not answer the phone.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
u.investigativa@eltiempo.com
@UinvestigativaET
Follow us now on Facebook
