A Canadian woman was attacked by a man with an ax in downtown Mérida on Tuesday. She received a wound to the head and was taken to hospital for treatment, but her life did not appear to be in danger.
Local media reported that a 25-year-old Canadian tourist was attacked while walking near the main cathedral in the historic center of the Yucatán capital with friends.
#Yucatán I Así atacó un hombre con un hacha a una mujer en el Centro de Mérida 👉 https://t.co/qcNO4bt522 pic.twitter.com/BgV63fEg0N
— Por Esto! Online (@PorEstoOnline) April 23, 2024
A surveillance camera caught nongraphic footage of the attack, which can be seen at a distace in the right bottom corner of the video.
The aggressor reportedly grabbed an ax from workers carrying out remodeling work around Mérida’s main square and proceeded to attack the woman for no apparent reason. Reports said that the man — who was detained — appeared to be suffering from mental problems and was speaking incoherently.
The website Novedades Yucatán reported that the Canadian woman began to bleed profusely from the head after she was struck with the ax. Municipal police responded to the attack and called paramedics, who bandaged the woman’s head before taking her to hospital.
A photograph showed that the woman was conscious as paramedics checked her oxygen levels. Her head was bandaged, but her hand and leg were stained with blood.
El Diario de Yucatán said that her wound was “at the height of her eyebrow.”
The victim wasn’t immediately identified, but the aggressor identified himself as Eliazer and said he was from the state of Tabasco, according to reports. He reportedly said that the CIA had taken him to Mérida.
The man, who appeared to be relatively young, was taken away in a police vehicle.
Mérida is known as one of the safest cities in Mexico, and violent attacks are very rare.
The city is a popular tourism destination but receives far fewer visitors than Cancún, located 300 kilometers east on the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo.
With reports from Diario de Yucatán, Novedades Yucatán, Debate and Quadratín
