A jury sentenced Rafael Horacio Moreno, a 75-year-old retired policeman, to eight years and six months in prison for the homicide of his neighbor Sergio David Díaz on Christmas Eve in Lomas del Mirador. The incident stemmed from a dispute over loud music. The ruling also imposes a ten-year ban on possessing firearms.
On December 25, 2024, in Lomas del Mirador, Buenos Aires province, Sergio David Díaz, a 40-year-old bus driver, was spending Christmas Eve with his family and friends on the sidewalk outside his home, listening to music and drinking alcohol. Rafael Horacio Moreno, a 75-year-old retired Federal Police officer, approached demanding they lower the volume of the audio equipment. When Díaz refused, Moreno drew his weapon to intimidate him, leading to a verbal confrontation. Díaz challenged him: “Are you tough? Don’t pull that gun on me! Who do you think you are?”. Moreno then shot Díaz in the abdomen, causing his death.
Moreno was arrested the next day. His wife told the press: “My husband came back devastated after what happened, he shot because he had no choice, he didn’t go out intending to kill”. She added that she didn’t hear music or see her husband leave with the gun, and that he had no conflicts with the neighborhood.
The Tribunal Oral en lo Criminal N°2 of La Matanza, presided over by Judge Lucila Pacheco, found him guilty of simple homicide and illegal possession of a firearm, sentencing him to eight years and six months in effective prison, plus a ten-year disqualification from holding firearms. Prosecutor Sergio Antín had requested aggravated homicide due to the use of a firearm, but it was dismissed. Moreno’s lawyers sought house arrest, which was also denied.
Cristina, the victim’s mother, told Noticias Argentinas: “I expected a 13-year sentence. I ask that the established sentence be upheld and fulfilled. I need justice”. Karina, Díaz’s cousin and homeowner, stated: “I think he went out to kill on a festive night, the shot didn’t go off by accident and he never showed remorse. Let him serve the penalty in jail”. The family expressed fear for their safety, worried that Moreno might get conditional release due to his status as a former policeman.