Case file
Murder of Fernando Báez Sosa
Fernando José Báez Sosa was born on 2 March 2001 in Buenos Aires, the only son of Silvino Báez and Graciela Sosa, both Paraguayan immigrants. He grew up in the Recoleta neighborhood, attended the Marianistas de Caballito high school on scholarship, and went on to study law at the University of Buenos Aires. He was in a relationship with fellow law student Julieta Rossi.
On 16 January 2020, Báez Sosa traveled to the seaside resort town of Villa Gesell with a group of high school friends and his girlfriend, staying at the Hola Ola hostel. In the early hours of 18 January 2020, the group went to the Le Brique nightclub. A verbal altercation broke out around 4:30 a.m. after one of Báez Sosa's friends accidentally bumped into a member of another group, leading nightclub security to eject both groups. Shortly after 4:44 a.m., while Báez Sosa and his friends waited outside for the rest of their group, several members of the other group attacked them. Báez Sosa was punched and kicked until unconscious, sustaining blunt head trauma; the beating lasted less than a minute. Prosecutors described the attack as coordinated, with some assailants striking Báez Sosa while others blocked his friends from intervening. Part of the assault was filmed by one of the attackers on a cellphone.
Following the attack, the group returned to their rented accommodation, changed clothes, and were reported by witnesses to have been boasting about the incident; a photograph of several of them smiling, taken about 20 minutes after the beating, later circulated widely. All ten members of the group were detained by provincial police later that morning. Báez Sosa's autopsy determined he died of neurogenic shock with internal bleeding from multiple blows, making it impossible to identify a single fatal strike. Eight men — Máximo Thomsen, Ciro Pertossi, Luciano Pertossi, Lucas Pertossi, Matías Benicelli, Enzo Comelli, Blas Cinalli, and Ayrton Viollaz — were charged with aggravated premeditated homicide. Two other men initially implicated, along with a third who was a minor at the time, were not charged due to insufficient evidence, and remaining charges against two of them were dropped by April 2021.
In the immediate aftermath, the accused had falsely implicated an acquaintance, Pablo Ventura, who was briefly detained before being released and cleared of any involvement.
The trial of the eight charged men began on 2 January 2023 before the Tribunal Criminal N°1 de Dolores, with roughly 130 witnesses expected to testify. On 6 February 2023, the tribunal found all eight guilty of homicide doubly aggravated by premeditation and ambush. Thomsen, Ciro Pertossi, Luciano Pertossi, Benicelli, and Comelli were designated co-perpetrators and sentenced to life imprisonment; Lucas Pertossi, Cinalli, and Viollaz were designated secondary participants and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The case drew extensive national and international attention, including condolence messages to the family from Pope Francis and then-President Alberto Fernández, and prompted public discussion in Argentina about violence associated with rugby culture.
Key facts
- Victims
- Fernando Báez Sosa
- Date
- 2020
- Location
- Villa Gesell, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
2001-03-02
Fernando José Báez Sosa is born in Buenos Aires.
2020-01-16
Báez Sosa arrives in Villa Gesell with friends and his girlfriend.
2020-01-18
Báez Sosa is beaten outside Le Brique nightclub in Villa Gesell and later dies; all ten members of the offender group are detained by police the same morning.
2020-02-05
Pablo Ventura, falsely accused by the group, is released and cleared of charges.
2020-02-10
Prosecutor requests eight of the ten men be held on remand; two others are provisionally released due to lack of evidence.
2020-02-18
Nationwide demonstration held in Buenos Aires demanding justice for Báez Sosa.
2021-04-07
Remaining charges against two previously implicated but uncharged men are dropped.
2023-01-02
Trial of the eight accused begins at the Tribunal Criminal N°1 de Dolores.
2023-01-19
Interfaith prayer gathering held in Dolores marking the third anniversary of the murder.
2023-02-06
Tribunal finds all eight defendants guilty; five sentenced to life imprisonment, three to 15 years.
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People
Máximo Thomsen
CONVICTEDConvicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.
Pablo Ventura
ACQUITTEDFalsely accused by the group of causing Báez Sosa's death; briefly detained then released and cleared of all charges.
Luciano Pertossi
CONVICTEDConvicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.
Fernando Báez Sosa
VICTIM18-year-old law student beaten to death outside a nightclub in Villa Gesell on 18 January 2020.
Lucas Pertossi
CONVICTEDConvicted as secondary participant in aggravated homicide; sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Ciro Pertossi
CONVICTEDConvicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.
Ayrton Viollaz
CONVICTEDConvicted as secondary participant in aggravated homicide; sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Blas Cinalli
CONVICTEDConvicted as secondary participant in aggravated homicide; sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Enzo Comelli
CONVICTEDConvicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.
Matías Benicelli
CONVICTEDConvicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- Fernando Báez Sosa, an 18-year-old Argentine law student, was beaten to death outside a nightclub in Villa Gesell on 18 January 2020 by a group of young men. In 2023, all eight tried defendants were convicted of aggravated homicide, with five sentenced to life imprisonment and three to 15 years.
- Where did the murder happen?
- Villa Gesell, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
- Who was convicted?
- Máximo Thomsen (Convicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.), Luciano Pertossi (Convicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.), Lucas Pertossi (Convicted as secondary participant in aggravated homicide; sentenced to 15 years in prison.), Ciro Pertossi (Convicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.), Ayrton Viollaz (Convicted as secondary participant in aggravated homicide; sentenced to 15 years in prison.), Blas Cinalli (Convicted as secondary participant in aggravated homicide; sentenced to 15 years in prison.), Enzo Comelli (Convicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.), and Matías Benicelli (Convicted as co-perpetrator of aggravated homicide; sentenced to life imprisonment.).
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
Related cases
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Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Fernando Báez SosaWikipedia · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage of Fernando Báez Sosa's wake and case backgroundinfobae.com · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage of Fernando Báez Sosa, only son pursuing his dreamsclarin.com · 2026-07-07
Record history
- First published
- JUL 07, 2026
- Last verified against sources
- JUL 07, 2026