The Niño del Terror: 15-Year-Old Serial Killer Who Got 4 Years for 22 Murders

In 1992, Ecuador captured its youngest serial killer. Juan Fernando Hermosa was just 15 years old when police arrested him after a violent shootout that killed his mother. Over four months in late 1991, he'd murdered 22 people across Quito—8 taxi drivers, 11 gay men, and others—all shot with the same 9mm pistol. The crimes terrorised northern Quito, with weekend killings creating panic among drivers and the LGBTQ+ community. But Ecuador's juvenile law capped his sentence at just four years, regardless of how many he'd killed. He became a prison celebrity, escaped by murdering a guard, was recaptured, and served his full term. Released in January 1996 at age 19, Juan Fernando Hermosa died on his 20th birthday—tortured and executed in what was widely believed to be an act of revenge. His case sparked a national debate about juvenile justice that continues today.

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