Authorities in central Panama are investigating the death of Ivis Ubarte, a 23-year-old female footballer killed during a home invasion in El Ciruelito de Antón on Tuesday night, August 11. Ubarte, known as “La Rosadita,” played for Inter Panamá CF in the Liga Femenina de Fútbol and had taken part in multiple Panamanian national team call-ups. No arrests had been confirmed as of the latest police update.
The killing has triggered a joint homicide and femicide investigation, with police and prosecutors working to establish whether the attack was gang related, targeted, or connected to gender-based violence.
Female Footballer Killed in Home Invasion in Antón
Ubarte was inside her home when two armed men with covered faces entered the residence, according to the initial police account. The attackers first tried to shoot the victim’s mother, but the weapon reportedly malfunctioned. One of the men then moved to Ubarte’s room and fired multiple shots at her. After the shooting, both suspects fled in a sedan heading toward the Pan-American Highway.
The sequence of events has shocked residents of El Ciruelito de Antón, a small community in Coclé province. Investigators said the attackers appeared to know exactly where to go inside the home, which has become a key element in the case. that the first weapon failed before a second attack was carried out points to a deliberate act rather than a random crime, officials said.
No one has been arrested in connection with the killing, but police said they have already identified several people of interest and are conducting operations throughout the week to make captures.
Investigation Points Toward Possible Gang Involvement
Police director Jaime Fernández said the case is being examined under a line of investigation tied to possible gang activity. He added that some of the people identified by officers have previous criminal records.
“This case does not escape a line of investigation we are following, which points to the possible involvement of a gang group” [Translated from Spanish]
Fernández said operations would continue over the remaining days of the week, but he did not reveal how many suspects police are seeking or whether any of them have been formally linked to the crime scene. The gang angle places the homicide within a wider pattern of organized violence that has affected parts of Panama, including areas of Coclé province where armed groups operate.
Prosecutors have not announced a specific motive. They continue to investigate why Ubarte was targeted and whether her death could be classified as femicide under Panamanian law.
Evidence Collection and Legal Classification
Panama’s attorney general, Luis Carlos Gómez Rudy, said the case is being handled by the Coclé regional unit and its specialized section for crimes against life and personal integrity. That office is responsible for both homicide and femicide investigations, which allows authorities to pursue multiple legal angles at once.
Investigators are conducting interviews, canvassing the area around El Ciruelito de Antón, and collecting surveillance camera footage. The goal is to reconstruct the route used by the attackers before and after the shooting, identify the getaway vehicle, and trace the movements of the suspects. These pieces of evidence could help establish whether the home was watched before the attack.
Authorities have not said if the suspects knew Ubarte personally or if the killing was ordered by a criminal structure. The combination of covered faces
