The Argentine News Agency learned from police sources that five individuals were apprehended and arrest warrants were issued for three fugitives, all allegedly linked to the criminal organization known as "La Banda del Millón," in connection with the investigation into the homicide of María Susana Rodríguez Iturriaga (81) at her home in Barrancas de San Isidro.
The case took a decisive turn when the cell phones of the detainees were analyzed. The operation was carried out on October 31, 2025, under the jurisdiction of the AMBA Norte 1 Regional Security Superintendency.
Initially, the apprehended individuals are Viera Miguel Ángel (47), Julio Ramiro Emiliano (20), Tamurro Matías (26), Ponzo Thiago (19), and Gómez Agustín (20).
The key to the investigation was focused on the case file No. 14-03-002952-25/00, "Homicide in the Course of a Robbery," which investigates the crime against Rodríguez Iturriaga, which occurred on Saturday, October 25, around 7:00 PM.
According to the prosecutor's extension, the opening of the detainees' cell phones allowed for the verification of communication between them and their direct link to the incident.
"It can be verified that there is communication between them (whether by messaging, videos, and photos) and that the aforementioned have a direct link to the incident in which Rodríguez I is a victim, being able to observe chats where they confess to the perpetration of the fact as well as the murder of the victim," the report states.
Furthermore, the seized material included "the video of the entry of these criminals into the residence" and the observation of "various homes marked as future places for the commission of crimes (houses marked with images)".
The investigation determined that the detainees communicated with two individuals operating from their places of accommodation: Thiago Sandoval (18), alias "Polli," housed at the Virrey del Pino Adult Minors Contention Center, and Hugo Isaías Castillo San Martín (18), alias "Castillito," confined in Unit No. 9.
The Justice Department ordered the cell phones of the detainees in the murder of María Susana Rodríguez Iturriaga, the 81-year-old retiree who was beaten to death in her home in the Buenos Aires district of San Isidro, and links to "La Banda del Millón" were confirmed.
Both were identified as "leaders of the aforementioned band," serving sentences for the murder of businessman Jorge Enrique Demarco, perpetrated on March 14, 2024, in San Isidro.
It was established that Sandoval and Castillo San Martín "organize criminal acts from prison, playing an important role," assembling criminal gangs through a WhatsApp group called "La Banda del Millón" to commit robberies under the "stalking/home invasions" modality.
Based on the telephone analysis, Dr. Patricio Ferrari, in charge of the UFI Martínez, identified three new participants: Elián Villalba (18), Paz Santiago Nahuel (20), and Valentín Benítez (16).
The Guarantees Court of the San Isidro Judicial Department is involved.
The Prosecutor issued seven search and arrest warrants for these citizens, with addresses in the La Cava neighborhood and San Fernando, and two search warrants for the accommodation centers of Sandoval and Castillo San Martín to seize their cell phones.
Following the security operation, the cell phones were seized and Castillo San Martín was apprehended in Unit No. 9, as well as Sandoval in the Contention Center, with their transfer to a San Isidro police facility being processed.
In one of the homes in San Fernando, Valentín Benítez was not found, but a COLT brand pistol, caliber 11.25, was seized. The rest of the searches yielded negative results, so requests for capture for Villalba, Paz, and Benítez were issued.
The autopsy on the victim determined that she suffered blows to the face, which "would not have been the cause of death but would have caused a decompensation that subsequently led to her death."
The investigative tasks continue.
