Dominican Republic prosecutors are fighting to keep six men allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of a boy behind bars for 18 months before their trial starts.  

Luis Vargas, 20; Derlin Mercado, 24; César Ulloa, 23; José Almonte, 20; Elián Martínez, 21; and Tomás Peña, 32, are charged with criminal association, homicide and aggravated attempted robbery in connection with the murder of Gioser Feliz, e N 9, last Wednesday.

At least five women were also arrested Friday, although none of them have been charged. 

Goiser was shot in the head after one of the defendants opened fired from a vehicle that intercepted the SUV that the child’s father and girlfriend were traveling in 30 minutes after they landed on a flight from JFK Airport.

The boy was rushed to a local hospital, where he died two hours after undergoing surgery.  

Authorities allege Peña was aware of the family’s travel plan and plotted the robbery and killing of Feliz’s father, Sergio Feliz, a close friend for almost a decade.

Prosecutors revealed that they have evidence that shows he obtained information regarding ‘the day, time, flight number and airline through which Féliz would arrive in the country.’

Peña relayed the details to his five accomplices, who traveled in a white Hyundai rental to Cibao International Airport, where they spotted the family and tailed the Honda CRV that Sergio Feliz and his son were riding on.

Following the murder, dE Peña spent the night at a home where Sergio Feliz was staying and even accompanied him to make arrangement for a funeral service that was held in Santo Domingo on Friday.

In addition, t authorities said Peña also relayed messages to the defendants regarding police investigations into the killing. 

‘Tomás Peña (a) Tomasito, considered a friend by the minor’s father, accompanied him to (National Institute of Forensic Sciences), and to all the places where the father had to go to organize his son’s funeral services and, taking advantage of that proximity, communicated to them to the other members of the criminal gang, e N the details of the investigations,’ the prosecutor’s office said.

Gioser’s uncle told the media that Feliz’s father and Morel have known each other for over 10 years and were ‘basically brothers.’

‘Since I found out about the death of the child Gioser Luis Féliz, I am following up on the case,’ said Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader in a statement.

‘I have been informed by the Director of the National Police about the arrest of the 5 criminals who committed this horrendous crime.Now justice must be ensured in the courts,’ he added.

The family is now working on getting Gioser’s body back to New York so a funeral can be held. 

The tragic shooting unfolded after the family was picked up by an unnamed friend of the boy’s father, Sergio Luis Feliz Mancebo. 

After landing in the Dominican Republic for the child’s spring break, they were expected to spend several days in the country before returning to New York next Monday. 

In a video posted after he lost his son, Sergio said the family was intercepted by the muggers as they passed through a toll booth. 

The gang then opened fire when the driver of the car, one of the father’s friends, refused to stop and attempted to flee. 

One of the bullets hit the boy in the head, and he was rushed to a local hospital for emergency surgery before he was pronounced dead.His body will be transported back to the United States. 

The assailants fled the scene in a white Hyundai, which police used to track them down and arrest them after discovering they had rented it shortly before the botched mugging. 

A press release added that the men ‘admitted their participation’ in the shooting.

‘These detainees were captured by video surveillance cameras in this terminal and from there they followed the father of the victim,’ added a police spokesperson following the arrests.