The Public Prosecution Service demanded 20 years in prison against 42-year-old Robertico “Tico” I. before the court in The Hague for the shooting death of Jursley Cijntje (31) in a crowded café in The Hague in 2015. The suspect fled to Brazil where he a few years later was arrested for drug trafficking. He was extradited to the Netherlands in May last year.
Nine bullets
According to the judiciary, on Saturday night, July 11, around 4:30 am, the then 34-year-old Robertico I. shot Jursley Cijntje from close range in the café La Suegra in The Hague. The victim falls and crawls towards the exit, but the suspect continues to shoot. Fifteen shell casings were found by the forensic investigation, Cijntje was hit by nine bullets. The nightlife public sees how he fights for his life on the street in front of the cafe and eventually dies. A friend is hit four times and is seriously injured, but survives the shooting.
National Tracking List
Several witnesses state that Robertico I. is the shooter. What exactly happened that evening in the café in Herenstraat remains partly shrouded in mystery. Despite extensive checks at the door, I. eventually had a firearm in hand inside. But when he was searched by the police on the street a few minutes after the shooting, he had nothing left. It offered him the chance to escape and flee the next day to Brazil, where he was arrested a few years later for drug trafficking. It was not until his arrest that the Brazilian police discovered that he was on the Dutch National Investigation List. He was extradited to the Netherlands in May 2022.
No remorse
The public prosecutor blames the suspect for not disclosing his affairs. ‘So he takes no responsibility for his act, shows no remorse. The next of kin are left with the question why he decided that night to shoot his gun empty at their son, father or nephew.’
The public prosecutor blames it extra that I. shot in a full cafe. Some bystanders felt the bullets fly past them, a friend of the victim was actually hit four times. There is still one bullet lodged in his body. In addition to the manslaughter of the victim, the Public Prosecution Service also finds attempted manslaughter of this friend proven.
Strong criminal record
In the Netherlands, Robertico I. already had a criminal record. Since the turn of the century, he had already served several long prison sentences for possession of weapons and attempted manslaughter, among other things. ‘Severe violence and firearms have therefore been a common thread through his life for years,’ the public prosecutor summarized.
She demanded against him the maximum possible prison sentence of 20 years. The court will rule in two weeks.
Drug Conflict
According to police information, it would appear that the shooting stemmed from a conflict in the drug environment. Both the suspect and the victim are of Curaçaoan descent. Victim Jursley Cijntje is said to have been a member of the Curaçao street gang No Limit Soldiers. In 2010, Cijntje was suspected of a fatal shooting during an Antillean party in Zoetermeer, but was eventually acquitted.
