According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the three men suspected of the murder of 27-year-old Ayla Mintjes, last May in Maassluisstraat, were themselves injured when they set fire to their getaway car after the liquidation. One of them is said to have been taken to hospital with serious burns.
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This is what the public prosecutor stated this afternoon at a first preliminary session against three suspects, who, according to the Public Prosecution Service, have invoked their right to remain silent since their arrest.
Innocent Victim
The Public Prosecution Service suspects Samuel Y. (20), Renato F (34) and Jeremia T. (22) of co-perpetrating the murder of Mintjes and the attempted murder of her boyfriend. They were fired on with automatic weapons on Sunday evening, May 16, when they drove out of the parking garage of Ayla’s apartment complex on Maassluisstraat. According to justice, Mintjes was an innocent victim; presumably the gunmen were interested in her friend Anis B., a known member of the criminal environment.
The gunmen used a Volkswagen Caddy, which was also captured by several cameras. Images show that that car had been on the Maassluisstraat since 6 p.m. that evening, waiting for Mintjes and her boyfriend. As the couple left the building in their Mercedes AMG, the Caddy started moving.
Automatic weapons
Footage shows two gunmen with automatic weapons running down the street and shooting at the Mercedes. Ayla was behind the wheel and was hit, her boyfriend was unharmed. Ayla crawled out of the car near Heemstedestraat and was still able to walk through the back to the passenger seat, whereupon her boyfriend got behind the wheel and drove to a hospital. Mintjes died there from her injuries.
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After the shooting, the two gunmen jumped into the back of the Caddy, after which the driver took off at high speed. Four minutes later, the three arrived in August Vermeylenstraat, where the car was set on fire. Police later found a handgun and two automatic firearms in the vehicle.
Very severe burns
There are also images of that crime scene, on which the suspects can be recognized according to the justice system. According to the OM, the three caught fire when setting the getaway car on fire. All suspects suffered burns to their bodies. One of them was seriously injured and would have almost lost consciousness due to the severe burns, the public prosecutor said.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the trio fled to a house in Utrecht after setting the Caddy on fire. There, a witness saw how a man was dropped off with severe burns around 8:45 p.m. that evening. A witness saw that he had “massive burns” and “falling away every time”. According to the public prosecutor, the suspect had to be taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
“Other Cause”
The lawyer for this suspect, Samuel Y., states that the burns could have a completely different cause. According to him, they do not have to be caused by criminal conduct. According to him, the injuries also do not match what a witness described. Another suspect, Jeremiah T., has stated that he suffered burns elsewhere from a flammable liquid.
Phone details
In addition to camera images and witness statements, the detective links the three suspects to the murder because of their telephone data. Between 14 and 16 May, according to the police, the three have contact with each other by telephone. In the days prior to the liquidation, they survey the Maassluisstraat and the place where the getaway car will later be set on fire, the August Vermeylenstraat. On the night of the murder, their phones also probe Nolensstraat, where one of the suspects lives.
The Public Prosecution Service expects the investigation into the liquidation to be completed within three months and has asked the court to detain the three suspects for longer. The court will make a decision on this later this afternoon.
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