Police arrest 3 as TV anchor’s slaying likely gay violence(Update)

Santo Domingo.- The National Police on Sunday announced thearrest of Oscar Pérez (Yandel), 19; Luis Manuel Estévez (Macuto or Anderson), 20,and Joel Rafael Miliano (Pateo), 18, who allegedly confessed to the murder ofCuban-born TV news anchor Claudio Nasco.

National Police spokesman Jacobo Mateo said aftercommitting the crime, the three suspects admitted withdrawing money from ATMswith Nasco’s credit and debit cards.

"In the interrogation the detainees claimed thatthey contacted the journalist Nasco with Perez’s cell phone for a get-together inthat kind of place (motel), as they had done before," Mateo said in apress conference.

He said "Yandel" and Nasco met in a mall andthen went to the motel with the other two suspects, but once there a violentargument ensued over an alleged RD$ 25,000 debt.

Many people believe the slain TV anchor was gay as was thevictim of his lovers.

Senior official wants deeper probe

On Monday the Government Ethics Commission presidentMarino V. Castillo said he believes Nasco’s murder was more than just theresult of a spat with his gay lovers, and asks the National Police toinvestigate. He said it’s possible that Nasco was the victim of murder-for-hire.