The “Psychopath of Meiggs”: How Diego Ruiz Restrepo Murdered Six People in One Week

In November 2020, a series of brutal nighttime attacks shocked Santiago, Chile. Several people sleeping on the streets were stabbed within minutes of one another, and investigators eventually connected the killings to a single perpetrator. The case became known as the story of the “Psychopath of Meiggs.”

The man convicted of the crimes was Diego Ruiz Restrepo, a Colombian national who was 33 years old at the time of his sentencing in 2023. His victims were people living in vulnerable circumstances around the Meiggs neighborhood and along Alameda, a major avenue running through Santiago and neighboring Estación Central.

According to prosecutors, the attacks occurred between November 2 and November 8, 2020. Ruiz targeted people who were sleeping outdoors, often during the early morning hours when the streets were quiet and the victims were particularly vulnerable.

The first killing described in the prosecution’s case took place on November 2. A man identified by the initials C.A.R.A. was attacked at a bus stop along Alameda and suffered multiple stab wounds. Ruiz then continued along the avenue and attacked another person, a 64-year-old man sleeping on the street.

The violence escalated again on November 8. At approximately 3:15 a.m., another person sleeping outdoors was fatally stabbed. Just five minutes later, a second victim was attacked while sleeping among cardboard sheets.

At around 3:23 a.m., Ruiz attacked two more people experiencing homelessness. One died, while the other survived with serious injuries. Later that morning, another person was stabbed and killed.

The short intervals between some of the attacks became one of the most disturbing aspects of the case. Investigators and prosecutors presented evidence that the victims were attacked without provocation, with the assailant inflicting repeated wounds to vital areas of their bodies.

Authorities eventually arrested Ruiz, and the case proceeded to trial. On August 22, 2023, a Santiago criminal court found him guilty of seven homicide offenses: six completed murders and one attempted murder.

On August 29, 2023, he was sentenced to qualified life imprisonment. Under Chilean law, the sentence requires him to serve at least 40 years before becoming eligible to seek a penitentiary benefit.

The case also triggered debate about immigration enforcement. Officials said Ruiz had entered Chile in 2013 on a tourist visa and had remained in the country without regularizing his status. The circumstances of his immigration status became part of the public discussion after his arrest, although the criminal case centered on the killings.

Beyond the disturbing details, the victims’ circumstances highlighted the vulnerability of people living on the streets. Their deaths prompted questions about how communities protect those who have little shelter or security, particularly during the night.

The case remains one of Chile’s most notorious recent serial-murder investigations, not only because of the number of victims but also because several attacks occurred within minutes of one another.

Source: emol