In recent hours, new details have emerged about the relationship between the Cuban Yannelis de la Caridad Casales (30 years old) and Carlos Yordanis Aldana (38), a bond that ended in tragedy after the man killed the young Cuban woman last weekend in the city of Jacksonville, in Florida.
Yannelis and Carlos met in Cuba when he was already living in the United States. Three years ago, during a vacation trip he took to the island. Yordanis was left in custody due to an outstanding legal matter, of which no further details have emerged.
In Cuba, he served a three-year sentence. While he was imprisoned, the young woman traveled to the United States and had the I-220A document. She was working to establish herself and hoping to reunite with her partner and build a future together.
On March 16, the couple had an emotional reunion at an airport in Florida.
“You are the dream I always prayed for. Welcome home”, he wrote on Facebook alongside the video in which he welcomed Carlos Yordanis Aldana.
However, less than two weeks later, in the early hours of March 30, Carlos Yordanis Aldana stabbed Yannelis 15 times for reasons that have not been made public.
The feminicide occurred early Sunday morning in an apartment complex in the Arlington area of Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida.
Upon arriving at the scene, the police found the assailant with stab wounds on his left hand and left shin. Aldana was treated by paramedics at the scene and then taken to a local hospital for treatment.
During the inspection of the scene, the officers followed a trail of blood that led them from where the body of the woman, who had multiple stab wounds, was found. After being discharged from the hospital, he was moved to the Duval County jail, where he remains in custody.
Yannelis's family speaks
From Santiago de Cuba, the young woman's father and brother have expressed their dismay over the tragedy.
“How can you think that they are a father and a mother?.. when she was my only daughter,” lamented the father of the young woman in comments to Telemundo 51.
"This has surprised me because he, as far as I know, was never a violent person. This has left me speechless,” added the man, who stated he was unaware of the possible cause of what happened.
"Only my little girl, who is now in another world, knows that, and he, who is imprisoned," concluded the grief-stricken father, who is asking for help to repatriate the young woman's body.
"I would like them to make the effort, for the body to come here and receive the burial it deserves," she reiterated.
Jorge, Yannelis' brother, has also expressed shock over what happened. In statements to Univision, he explained that he found out about the incident through a friend in the U.S. and that it was difficult for him to figure out how to break the news to his mother.
"Yannelis was a very kind, happy girl; she was always cheerful," states a friend of the young woman who passed away.
Family and friends of Yannelis have expressed their grief through social media in recent days and have created a fundraising campaign GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses and finance the repatriation of the body from Cuba.
The fundraising campaign has set a goal of $16,000, of which, up to the close of this note, they have managed to raise $11,231 from a total of 293 donations.
Frequently asked questions about the feminicide of Yannelis de la Caridad Casales and gender-based violence in Cuba and Florida
What happened to Yannelis de la Caridad Casales in Jacksonville?
Yannelis de la Caridad Casales was murdered by her partner, Carlos Yordanis Aldana, who stabbed her 15 times in an apartment complex in Jacksonville, Florida. The tragedy occurred less than two weeks after Aldana arrived in the United States from Cuba, following a three-year sentence. The community has expressed dismay over this act of domestic violence.
What actions are being taken to repatriate Yannelis's body to Cuba?
The family of Yannelis has launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to cover the funeral expenses in the United States and the repatriation of her body to Cuba. They have set a goal of $16,000, of which they have raised more than $11,000 so far.
What is the situation regarding femicides in Cuba?
In Cuba, femicide is not classified as a crime in the Penal Code, although independent platforms have recorded 53 femicides in 2024. These figures indicate a serious issue of gender-based violence in the country, and feminist organizations criticize the lack of concrete actions from the government to protect women.
How has the case of Carlos Yordanis Aldana been handled after the murder?
Carlos Yordanis Aldana has been arrested and remains in custody at the Duval County jail in Florida. Following the homicide, he was treated for self-inflicted knife wounds and then taken to the hospital. The Jacksonville police acted quickly, identifying him as the main suspect in the crime.
Filed under: