Carabinieri’s exagent, permanent resident in Cuba and father of two daughters, remains detained under provisional prison.
Madrid, Spain.- Ten days after massive outrage that he left A deceased woman And eight injured in Havana, the Attorney General’s Office identified the Italian citizen Mario Pontolillo, 56, as the alleged perpetrator. The case, which has generated shock on the island, is still under investigation while more details about the life and career of the accused arise.
An Italian resident in Cuba
Pontolillo is natural of Rome and resides permanently in Cuba, where he shared his time between Havana and Cienfuegos. In this last city he has a minor daughter with a Cuban citizen, called Sarah. He is also the father of another daughter, Marianna, who is already adult and lives in Europe.
In recent months, Pontolillo spent more time in Havana, where he was arrested at the end of August after being identified as the main suspect of the multiple outrage that occurred on August 25 in Centro Habana and Havana Vieja.
Past as carabinero and link with Cuba
The defendant is an exagent of the Italian police and military body of Carabinieri. His figure charged some public visibility in 2019, when appeared in the television program To every engine During the presentation of the Cultural and Recreational Project Moto one hundred. On that occasion, he said he was motivated by a desire to help, “to help the Cuban population, and give a hand,” after the passage of a tornado that affected Havana for those days, the end of January 2019.
“To help the Cuban population, to help the human population sometimes from their tornado, is to go out here to give a hand, as a good way that he has to think around the world,” he said then.
Ernesto “Che” Guevara admirer, Pontolillo came to tattoo on the side of the abdomen the iconic image taken by Alberto Korda.
Background and problems with the Cuban Police
A source close to the Italian embassy in Havana informed Cubanet that Pontolillo had had previous incidents with the Cuban police. On one occasion he reached a “outstanding” station, under alleged alcohol or drug effect, and there he starred in an altercation with an officer. He was briefly arrested, although the case did not go to adults.
The outrage car
The Red Audi used in the massive outrage was identified as ownership of Pontolillo. Initially, the authorities investigated whether it was he who was driving the vehicle at the time of the fact, but Fuentes confirmed that his belonging to the defendant was clear.
Ongoing process
Pontolillo faces charges for “the alleged commission of murder crimes and others”, According to the Prosecutor’s Office. It remains under precautionary measures of provisional imprisonment and prohibition of departure from the country, waiting for the official investigation to end.
