Murder City_ Ciudad Juarez and the Global Economy's New Killing Fields - Charles Bowden [116]
Fernando Macias Gonzalez, about 30, was found inside a pickup. . . .
Jesus Duran Uranga, 31, was in the trunk of a car located around midday in the Los Arcos neighborhood.
The third and fourth victims, unidentified, were left in a vacant lot in the Cordova Americas neighborhood. All had been shot.
Four of the January murder victims were women and 39 were men.
Notable murders this month in the city include Municipal Police Captain Julián Cháirez Hernández and a 10-year-old girl, both killed on January 20. The next day, the operational director of the municipal police, Francisco Ledesma Salazar, 34, was shot to death in front of his home as he left for work. . . . On the same day, a woman about 34 weeks pregnant was murdered with an ax by her brother-in-law, who later turned himself in to authorities. The victim, Erika Sonora Trejo, 31, was attacked in the presence of her two children aged 11 and 6. Her unborn child also died.
El Diario, Ciudad Juárez, February 13, 2008
THREE DEAD AND 14 ABDUCTED IN PALOMAS, ASCENSIÓN AND NUEVO CASAS GRANDES; POLICE CORPORATIONS UNDER SIEGE IN THE NORTHWEST AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF THE SUBDIRECTOR AND TWO OTHER PERSONS
NUEVO CASAS GRANDES—After the violent night in which heavily armed groups left three people dead, one injured, and at least 14 abducted and missing in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Ascensión and Palomas, a psychosis has taken over the Public Security agencies. The towns find themselves besieged by elements of the Army, the Federal Police, and Police Intelligence (CIPOL).
In one of the incidents, Carlos Mario Parra Gutiérrez, Subdirector of Public Security of Nuevo Casas Grandes, was killed after the presumed sicarios set his house on fire. Almost simultaneously, several groups killed another two persons in Ascensión and Palomas, where at least 10 more were abducted; this number could be higher because at an apartment complex, the attackers destroyed the locks on all the doors and captured an unknown number of people.
Parra Gutiérrez had tried to fight the fire when he was struck by a bullet in the head, and though he managed to call for help to get to the hospital, he died while receiving medical treatment. The official’s coworkers said that he had worked for Municipal Public Security for 12 years.
Another of the victims was identified as Vidal Arámbula Avelar, a storekeeper who owned a wine and liquor store. Vidal Arámbula was violently taken from his home on Puebla Street, and after being handcuffed, he was apparently told to run for his life (la ley fuga) and was then machine-gunned in the street. His body was left lying on Avenida Mexico in front of a taco stand.
As of the close of this edition, the authorities had no leads as to the identities of those responsible nor of those persons who remain missing.
El Diario, Ciudad Juárez, February 14, 2008
Heavily armed men in two vehicles exchanged gunfire as they traveled to different areas of the city. The confrontation left at least one person injured and several were abducted at the scene. After the shoot-out, dozens of agents from the army, the State Investigative Agency, the Center for Police Investigation, federal and municipal police surrounded a luxurious residence in Pradera Dorada. Unofficial sources inside the police agencies said the shooters retreated into this house.
Norte de Ciudad Juárez, February 15, 2008
Jesús Muñoz Fraire said that his family’s home was robbed during a military operation in a neighboring residence. He accused the soldiers of stealing two televisions, a home theater and jewelry belonging to his wife.
El Diario, Ciudad Juárez, February 16, 2008
PRADERA DORADA “BUNKER” FORGOTTEN BY AUTHORITIES
Despite the arsenal found inside the residence in the luxurious Pradera Dorada neighborhood,