“God is wonderful, he is good and merciful, I always asked him to give me the freedom to spend my birthday outside and not in this place. I never lost hope and today he gave me this great gift, I am happy and grateful.”
These were the first words of Juan David ‘El Pollito’ Herrera, after learning the news of his freedom on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 16, his birthday, by the Fourth Court for the Execution of Sentences of the city of Tunja, who issued the release ticket for serving the sentence.
In this way, hell ended for the accordion player of Vallenato origin, who remained confined in the Regional High Security Penitentiary Center of Cómbita, Boyacá, serving a 15-year sentence, for the crime of violent sexual intercourse with a minor under 14 years of age. , and of which he turned twelve.
Visibly moved and grateful mainly to God, ‘El Pollito’ Herrera, through an audio that he sent to his great friends, highlighted that he is a sign that God rewards obedience, that the obedient will be reached by the mercy and blessings of God. Lord without looking for it. “Today I testify to that, this has been my best birthday gift, I am grateful to everyone, I will never forget what they did for me.”
Likewise, he assured that, although in many attempts he got a negative response, he never lost hope of achieving freedom because he always trusted in God, in whom he took refuge in every difficult moment he went through since he was transferred to Cómbita from the Valledupar Judicial Prison. .
“This place is not easy, but God was always with me, he never abandoned me. I’m going to ask old Nelly to make me rice with a lot of noodles, a steak with a lot of vinegar, yellow slices and tomato juice, it’s my greatest wish,” said the accordion player, who will be received in Valledupar next Saturday.
The Child King in 1983, Amateur King in 1990 and Professional King in 1996 of the Vallenata Legend Festival, said he was happy for his mother, his family and children; “I always hoped to one day get out of this place where so many people die in the hope of being able to get out and they couldn’t; “God is giving me a new opportunity and I will be faithful to him until the last day of my life.”
In the same way, he thanked his friends for their unconditional support, to whom he reminded the verse of one of the songs he composed in prison: “Oh, friends meet in bad times and not everyone who speaks is right, that when you are On the ground I extend my hand to you. Every suffering in life has its gain, I say this from my experience because I have lived it, what is sometimes bad even suits you, it must be that God has a purpose with me.”
THIS IS HOW HE WAS CAPTURED
The victim, a 12-year-old minor, on October 21, 2011, confessed to a family defender that she had relations with Juan David Herrera. This revelation was confirmed by examinations from the Institute of Legal Medicine: the girl had a tear in her sexual organ.
On that occasion, the minor said that that day she left school early and that “Herrera picked her up and they went to a motel where they were naked.”
The capture of the Vallenato king occurred on April 16, when he was preparing to compete in the Vallenato Festival, which was issued by the First Criminal Court with Guarantee Control Functions as allegedly responsible for abusive carnal access and sexual acts in a minor. 14 years.
On September 15, 2014, the judge of the First Criminal Court of the Circuit with Knowledge Functions sentenced him to 13 years and six months. From the moment of his arrest he was sent to the Judicial Prison but in May 2017 he was transferred to Cómbita, Boyacá.