Cuernavaca police chief murdered as violence continues in Morelos

December 6, 2019

Police Chief Juárez was killed on Thursday.

The police chief of Cuernavaca, Morelos, was murdered by gunmen on Thursday night.

Juan David Juárez López, 49, was eating at a taco restaurant in the state’s capital when he was shot six times. Paramedics who arrived on the scene were unable to revive him.

The neighborhood in which the murder occurred was later patrolled by National Guard and army troops to calm frightened residents. The situation became more tense when the security forces blocked reporters from filming near the scene of the crime.

Juárez was appointed police chief by Cuernavaca Mayor Francisco Antonio Villalobos Adán on October 19, at a challenging — and dangerous — time for security forces in the state.

This year is turning out to be the most violent in its history. At least 14 state and municipal police officers have been murdered so far this year.

According to the National Public Security System, there were 873 intentional homicides in Morelos in the first nine months, up from 729 in the same period last year.

March was the most violent month in the period, with 114 homicides, followed by February with 109 and June and September with 100 each.