A federal grand jury has indicted Alexander Sánchez-Morales and Bryan Merced-Bigio on charges related to an armed robbery at the China City restaurant in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The announcement was made by W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to allegations in a complaint, the incident occurred on October 10, 2024. Sánchez-Morales and a co-conspirator reportedly followed a woman and her two children to a residence above the restaurant. There, they allegedly forced entry and assaulted the husband with a machine gun before stealing money linked to the business. The defendants fled when agents from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau arrived.
United States Attorney Muldrow stated, “The armed robbery allegedly committed by these individuals was a horrific home invasion that spread fear through the community.” He emphasized that combating violent crime is a top priority for federal law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico.
Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Miami Field Division commented on the indictment: “This indictment represents continuing ATF efforts in the fight against violent crime and those who use machineguns to further their violent activities.”
Joseph González from the FBI’s San Juan Field Office stressed their mission's inclusivity: “I want to emphasize that when we say ‘everyone,’ we truly mean all people." He urged victims of crimes motivated by ethnicity or race to report them via phone or online tips.
If convicted, Sánchez-Morales and Merced-Bigio could face life imprisonment. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeanette Collazo and Jonathan Gottfried are leading prosecution efforts while ATF spearheads investigations with FBI collaboration.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
