The authorities organized what was then the largest manhunt in the history of the island. They placed a bounty on his head of $10,000 ($ in dollars), either dead or alive, which was a first in the crime annals of Puerto Rico. The police detained over 70 friends and family members for questioning. On May 16,1952, the police was alerted that Correa Cotto was living on a farm in Hacienda Barrancas on the outskirts of the City of Ponce. When the police arrived, they called on him to surrender, but he responded by firing his gun. The police set fire to the sugar cane fields which surrounded Correa Cotto's hideout. He came out firing a gun in one hand and held a machete in the other. Under the orders of Captain Luis M. Pérez, the police opened fire on Correa Cotto, killing him. Correa Cotto was buried in Ponce's Cementerio Civil de Ponce.Cementerio Civil de Ponce. 3 January 2019.
