To conclude this Women’s History Month special, today I’m sharing the story of the Hernández sisters, who were reported missing on February 18, as Barranquilla’s Carnival was coming to an end.
Sadly, on February 28, the bodies of Sheridan Sofía Hernández Noriega and Keyla Nicol Hernández Noriega, aged 14 and 17, were found buried in a wooded area of Malambo, a municipality in the metropolitan area of the capital of Atlántico.
The Barranquilla Metropolitan Police, through the Child and Adolescent Protection Unit, arrested Juan David Taboada Olivera, alias ‘El Tata’ 19, and alias ‘El Mono’ whose identity hasn’t been revealed. These were the young men allegedly involved in the sisters’ murder.
On the morning of March 17, a hearing was held to request preventive detention for Taboada, who was Sheridan’s alleged boyfriend, and ‘El Mono’, Keyla’s partner.
The supervisory judge recounted that the victims left their home located at the La Sierrita neighborhood, in southwestern Barranquilla, to attend a party in Malambo with alias ‘El Tata’ and alias ‘Fabián’. Both girls were accused of betraying the latter and of planning to hand him over to the criminal gang Los Costeños, which became the alleged motive for their murders, according to the testimonies revealed by the authorities.
According to the testimony of Mary Cruz Noriega, the girls’ mother, she endured moments of anguish because she couldn’t gather the money demanded to free her daughters after receiving calls stating they had been kidnapped.
“‘El Tata’ constantly threatened me and sent me videos where the guys were pointing a gun at my youngest daughter, telling me I had 15 minutes to send him 20 million pesos. First it was 50, then 20, and then it went down to 10”.
Mary Cruz filed a report with the Gaula (Unified Action Group for Personal Freedom) and hoped her daughters would be found, but she also feared that ‘El Tata’ would carry out his threat to take their lives.
The victims’ attorney, Ibeth Sandoval Ramos, provided details of the horrors the girls had endured for hours before their deaths and called for the full weight of the law to be brought to bear on those behind the crime.
Sandoval called for justice during the hearing and requested preventive measures against the 19-year-old, ‘El Tata’, who has a criminal record for various offenses, including illegal possession of firearms, and whose record includes an arrest in July 2025.
“This loss is compounded by the horror of the circumstances: a disappearance, a burial in a mass grave, and the extreme physical violence inflicted on these minors. This requires comprehensive reparations that include psychological support”, stated the defense.
Authorities believe the murder of the Hernández sisters could be linked to clashes between criminal organizations.
Alias ‘El Tata’ and ‘El Mono’ were arrested after being involved in a traffic accident while participating in the so-called “piques,” or illegal street races, held in the municipality of Puerto Colombia.
“I want the maximum sentence for those men, because what they did to my daughters is unforgivable, and it’s not fair that the other young man is at the El Oasis Reeducation Center just because he is a minor, since he showed no mercy toward my daughters, who were also minors”, stated the victims’ mother.
‘El Mono’ was reportedly linked to the 36th Front of the FARC dissidents under the command of alias ‘Calarcá’ and was expelled from the illegal armed group in 2025 after being wounded in a clash with the National Army in the department of Antioquia.
The supervisory judge ordered pretrial detention for ‘El Tata’ at El Bosque Penitentiary, basing his decision on the need to protect the community and ensure the proper conduct of the criminal proceedings, while completely ruling out the option of house arrest or other alternative measures.
The detention order was accepted by the Prosecutor’s Office, the victims, and the Public Ministry, but the defendant’s defense team appealed the decision.
The judge’s ruling is based on the impossibility of applying alternatives given the seriousness of the crime, the callousness shown by those involved, and the social impact of crimes against minors.
On social media, comments about the victims are divided because many question the fact that two young girls were dating such dangerous young men. However, instead of judging the lives of others, it’s important to understand that, regardless of their actions, no one deserves to have their life taken by another.
As a mother, I can only say that, in this case, not only were these two young girls murdered, girls who had a life to enjoy in so many ways, whether through studying, working, or fulfilling their dreams, but two young men have also metaphorically “died,” men who don’t stand out for their grades, skills, or behavior, but for their criminal records.
For every woman who dies, we all lose as a society, as parents, as a city, as a country, as human beings. Behind every story, there lie chains of hatred, resentment, violence, bruises, and shouting that we must begin to heal; we must stop remaining silent so that we can begin to change history.
During the first three months of 2026, at least 18 women have been murdered in various acts of violence reported in the department of Atlántico.
From #sinrecato, we want to pay a heartfelt tribute to them and their families. We hope this number doesn’t rise and that these women serve as a symbol to remind us that violence will never be an option and that our country still has a long way to go regarding gender-based violence:
Carmen Andrea Hernández Pérez (23 years old), Gladys María Reyes Mendoza (50 years old), Linda Mireya Ordoñez (36 years old), Yuliet Paola Camacho López (35 years old), Maryory Magdalena Jiménez Pérez (42 years old), Dayana Marcela Morales Meza (17 years old), Yainis Paola Contreras Acosta (22 years old), Everledis (no further details known), Betania María Méndez Machado (24 years old), Constanza Isabel Rivera Salas (39 years old), Leisis María Silvera Manotas (39 years old), Glenis Patricia Rodríguez Ariza (18 years old), Luzdary Michelle Guerrero Corro (17 years old), Gloria Esther Araujo Varela (36 years old), Landrys Johana Yepes Estrada (26 years old), María de los Reyes Herrera Ospino (61 years old), Sheridan Sofía Hernández Noriega (14 years old), and Keyla Nicolle Hernández Noriega (17 years old).
Traducción del español: Catalina Oviedo Brugés
