The mayor of Acatzingo, Puebla, fled the municipality with his family after being threatened by a suspected gang boss who is also believed to have kidnapped the police chief and two of his officers yesterday.

Police chief Christian Parada Rodelas and two officers had gone to check into a report that armed civilians had been seen traveling aboard a truck on the streets of Acatzingo. The three have not been seen since.

When they failed to respond to radio calls, a second patrol was sent out. It found Parada’s patrol car but no sign of the three men.

Later yesterday, Parada’s family reported that he had called to say he was fine and that he had been released. But the police chief’s whereabouts are still unknown.

The state Public Security Secretariat said Mayor Jesús Rosales García had received threats soon after Parada disappeared, triggering his departure.

It was Parada’s second kidnapping this week. He was abducted on Sunday but released hours later. He did not file a formal complaint about the incident.

Sources in the state’s Security Secretariat believe that a local gang boss known as “El Mamer” was behind the threats against the mayor, presumably because the latter had failed to keep an agreement with him.

The gang leader, who is believed to control petroleum theft in the area, wants to continue to control the local government, the sources said, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Source: e-consulta (sp)