People v. Almodóvar
People v. Almodóvar
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The information filed in this case against defendant Gonzalo Almodovar and codefendant Eulogia Toro Ramirez, for a violation of Act No. 220 of 1948, reads as follows: “The above-mentioned defendants Gonzalo Almodovar and Eulogia Toro Ramirez, on or about June 3, 1955 and in San Germán, P. R. ... upon searching the Las Lomas Hotel and the bar and dance hall next to said Las Lomas Hotel, owned and managed by Gonzalo Almodovar and Eulogia Toro Ramirez . . . they unlawfully, voluntarily, maliciously and criminally, had in their hands and/or possession lists of three-digit numbers followed by a dash and another digit, lists of three-digit numbers with a small blank space to the right, and another number and lists of numbers, signs and letters and names of persons which are used and may be used in the illegal games of ‘Bolita’ and ‘Boli-pool,’ which are clandestine combinations connected with the ‘pools’ and mutuels of the race-tracks of Puerto Rico and lotteries.”
The Act applicable to the case is § 4 of Act No. 220 of May 15, 1948, which provides: “Any person caught carrying or transporting or who has in his possession for any reason any papeleta, billete, ticket, notebook, list of numbers or letters, slips, or implements which can be used for the unlaw
This appeal is limited to the prosecution against Gonzalo .Almodovar because the defendants requested a separate trial.
Pursuant to § 4, when the person is not caught in fraganti while engaged in the manipulation of the games ■of “bolita,” the incrimination of a person for possessing criminal objects is based on the evidence of the relation (immediate control) between the owner and the premises searched, contrary to the presumption provided by § 3 to the effect that if at the time of the search there should be no one in the said premises, it shall be presumed that the person or persons in possession of the premises searched, as lessees, .owners, or otherwise, shall be deemed responsible for the -.unlawful manipulation of the devices found in said premises -.until evidence to the contrary is presented.
The incriminatory evidence which connects defendant with the premises searched is the following: Detective Rafael .Rivera Rosario testifying in favor of The People, declared that during May 27 and June 1, 1955, he saw defendant in the bar next to Las Lomas Hotel; that at said 'bar the witness and another detective asked for some beer; that the first time it was served by Eulogia Toro; the second .time by defendant Gonzalo Almodovar, and the third time
Carmen Vázquez Casiano, in testifying in favor of The People, said to be the manager of the Las Lomas Hotel (t. 87) and of the bar (t. 90); that Gonzalo Almodóvar and Eulogia Toro “are in the handkerchief business” (t. 88); that Eulo-gia Toro goes to the business “only at nighttime (t. 89) every night” (t. 90) and that defendant Gonzalo Almodóvar “comes sometimes. Not every night . . . now and then, not regularly.” She says that when she (the witness) leaves, Eulogia remains, and also an employee named William Santiago, the bartender (t. 90) remains. This last statement is corroborated by the licenses to sell cigars and cigarettes and to operate a juke-box, issued by the Collector of Internal Revenue in favor of Carmen Vázquez Casiano, which were all issued prior to the search.
Defendant’s evidence established the fact that the premises belong to Eulogia Toro Ramírez and are managed by Carmen Vázquez Casiano. Employee William Santiago, identified by the very evidence of The People, as the person in charge of the bar (t. 86) stated that he knows defendant: “he has gone several times to eat at the bar (t. 357) and that defendant paid for his food and did not go there regularly: “he goes to eat today, the day after tomorrow, then doesn’t go for one or two weeks” (t. 358). He says that on June 3, 1955 when the detective arrived, the witness was present (t. 358) at the bar “just then I had served Gonzalo Almo-dóvar his dinner.” The statement that defendant was eating
We shall not comment the incriminating evidence which tried to establish extra-marital relations between Gonzalo Almodovar and Eulogia Toro, because it was belied by the Prosecuting Attorney’s own evidence. Summarizing:
If the relation of defendant with the premises searched Is not proved, the fact that said defendant was present at the time of the search is not, if isolatedly considered, sufficient evidence to determine his guilt, and he must be presumed innocent bystander, United States v. Di Re, 332 U.S. 581, 586-87, 92 L. Ed. 210, 216 (Jackson, 1948). In these circumstances, defendant’s arrest and the subsequent search of his person is unlawful and the evidence obtained on the person may not be used to sustain his conviction.
This case differs from the facts examined in People v. Yulfo, 71 P.R.R. 767, 769 (De Jesús, 1950), in which the (evidence showed that when the officers went into the search
In view of the foregoing, the judgment finding defendant guilty in the case at bar is reversed.
(1) there is sufficient evidence in the record to maintain that defendant Gonzalo Almodovar was in possession and had control of the bar where the bolita material was found; and
(2) because the evidence being sufficient to support the conviction, it is unnecessary to pass on the questions relating to the search of the person of the defendant.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.