Kidnappers of Zapopan family well organized; case was not unique

The experience of the Villaseñor Romo family, deprived of their liberty for two weeks in Jalisco, could happen to anyone, according to one of the parents.

Julio Alberto Villaseñor Cabrera, his partner Jimena Romo Jiménez, their daughter Julia Isabella, Julio’s sister Virginia Villaseñor Cabrera and her son, Íker Fabricio Escoto Villaseñor, disappeared on March 24 while returning home to Zapopan from their vacation in Mexico City.

Julia Isabella, aged 18 months, was found last Thursday in the municipality of La Barca, Jalisco. The four other family members were released hours later.

“Those responsible were not improvising. They were professionals who form part of an organized, well oiled machinery,” said the family member in an interview.

“What happened to my family isn’t a unique case. There is a whole well calibrated machine in the area of kidnapping and there are a lot of people involved, and a lot more people are kidnapped. The seven police officers [that have been detained] are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Despite this, he acknowledged the captors did not mistreat the children nor take advantage of the women, and decided to release the family when they realized that the situation had gotten out of control.

“We are peaceful people, dedicated to our work, simple people. I don’t know where they got the idea that we have money. All we did was make noise on social media, all coordinated, the whole family making noise to the point of exhaustion, like anyone would,” he said.

It was not until the family took to social media that they learned two of the seven Acatic police officers arrested in the case already had arrest warrants against them. “It is a terrible omission and shows great irresponsibility that they hadn’t already arrested those officers,” he said.

Yesterday, the seven detained police officers were officially linked to the case for forced disappearance and aggravated forced disappearance. They were all ordered one year of pretrial detention as a precautionary measure while the investigation continues.

Source: Reforma (sp)