Alejandro Ruffo, 52, detained for the homicide of his 8-year-old son, was found lifeless in his cell at Unidad Penal 34 in Melchor Romero. Police sources suggest it was an apparent suicide by tying a sheet around his neck, with no signs of third-party involvement. The boy's mother, Natalia Ciak, voiced pain and indignation over the loss of her only son.
Alejandro Ruffo, 52, was found dead this Wednesday in his cell at Unidad Penal 34 in Melchor Romero, a secure neuropsychiatric prison in La Plata that houses detainees with mental health issues. Ruffo had been detained since August 5, 2025, charged with aggravated homicide due to kinship, treachery, and intent to cause suffering to his spouse, also known as linked femicide. According to judicial proceedings by prosecutor Fabiola Juanatey and judge Juan Vitale, Ruffo had a poor relationship with his son, whom he viewed as an obstacle between him and his wife.
Police sources stated that, at first glance, there were no indications of third-party involvement, and all pointed to the inmate taking his own life by tying a sheet around his neck. Consequently, a case for investigation of causes of death was opened at the Unidad Funcional de Instrucción (UFI) 3 in La Plata, which ordered an autopsy to confirm the suicide hypothesis.
The mother of the murdered boy, Natalia Ciak, feels only pain and indignation over the loss of her only son in Lomas de Zamora. The case unfolded in the context of a history of violence and control, per judicial sources. Unidad Penal 34 belongs to the Servicio Penitenciario Bonaerense and is located in the La Plata district.