Jailed prison

Australia rugby league international Blake Ferguson said he could “hardly stand up” after a month in a Japanese prison. Photo via Flickr Ken Mayer

Spanish dentist accused of killing his children found dead in Pollsmoor Prison

Yela was due back in court on 29 February, on charges relating to the murder of his twin children in April 2017.

Jailed prison

Australia rugby league international Blake Ferguson said he could “hardly stand up” after a month in a Japanese prison. Photo via Flickr Ken Mayer

Spanish dentist Mario-César Deus Yela, accused of murdering his twin children, was found dead in his cell in Pollsmoor Prison on Monday.

Cape Town Correctional Services officials, along with Yela’s legal counsel, confirmed that the foreign national’s lifeless body had been discovered by prison warders during unlock on Monday morning.

Cause of death

As reported by IOL, Singabakho Nxumalo, spokesperson for the Correctional Services, confirmed that the South African Police Service (SAPS) had been notified, saying:

“As a remand detainee, SAPS was alerted and they will have to inform the family of the deceased.”

Nxumalo added that preliminary investigations indicated that Yela may have overdosed on medication. The Department of Correctional Services is yet to verify and announce the official cause of death.

Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana noted that it was too early to speculate on the circumstances which led to Yela’s death, adding:

“A post-mortem with be conducted to determine the cause of death.”

Investigations, sanctioned by SAPS and the Department of Correctional Services, will run concurrently.

Spanish dentist accused of killing his twins

Yela was due back in court on 29 February, on charges relating to the murder of his twin children in April 2017. The 49-year-old, originally from Barcelona, came to South Africa to visit his children, who were living with his ex-wife, Julia Engelhorn.

According to Engelhorn, Yula openly admitted to killing the three-year-old twins, Octavia and Maximo. Upon further inspection of the Hout Bay holiday home in which they were staying, Engelhorn discovered her children’s lifeless bodies in one of the bedrooms.

Engelhorn claims that Yela then threatened to stab her – at which point she took flight, escaping from the house and running to the nearest security guard for help. Yela made off in Engelhorn’s  Toyota Prado. Police arrested the Spanish national after tracking him down his movements to Wynberg.

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