The Boy of Terror: A Killer Protected by the Police

Fifteen-Year-Old Confesses to Fifteen Murders as Police Watch in Stunned Silence: The Serial Killings of Juan Fernando Hermosa Suárez On a January afternoon in 1992, a teenager walked into a press conference in Quito and calmly described murdering fifteen people. What shocked Ecuador more was the impossible question no one could answer: how did a minor obtain weapons directly from active-duty police officers while those same officers hunted him? This episode explores the rise of the Boy of Terror-a photographic-memory killer who orchestrated taxi driver executions across Quito while corrupt officers supplied his arsenal. We examine the broken chain of custody, the undercover sting that triggered a fatal confrontation, and the institutional collapse that allowed him to escape from custody and kill again. Victim: Juan Fernando Hermosa Suárez (perpetrator) Date: November 1991 - January 1992 Location: Quito, Ecuador Status: Captured January 14, 1992 - Two active-duty police officers, Wilson Romero Vicuña and Rafael Pucha Isela, directly sold weapons to the teenage gang leader while the police hunted him - Hermosa's adoptive mother, Zoila Amada Suárez, was killed in crossfire during his arrest-struck by 19 to 20 bullets from multiple directions, making it impossible to determine which officer's bullet caused her death - A plastic gun smuggled by his girlfriend allowed Hermosa to shoot Sergeant Ángel Sailema five times and escape from juvenile detention with ten other minors-yet he was never formally charged for that murder - Hermosa was recaptured in Colombia three months later but returned to the system without additional judicial consequences for the prison escape or the guard's death Juan Fernando Hermosa Suárez, Quito Ecuador taxi driver murders 1991 1992, serial killer, homicide investigation, antisocial personality disorder, police corruption, true crime, criminal minds, unsolved mysteries, true crime English To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com . Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA. Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-6981245 © 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.