Friday, July 4, 2025

Teenage extortionists murder 16-year-old in Mexico City

When three teenagers went to a store in Mexico City to collect 2,500 pesos (US $122) in protection money this week, things turned ugly and a 16-year-old boy tending his family’s convenience store ended up getting shot and killed.

The tragic story was reported in the newspaper El Universal and on the digital media site Plumas Atómicas.

Monday evening, according to the reports, the juvenile henchmen arrived by motorcycle at the abarrotes store in the CDMX borough of Iztapalapa, in the San José Aculco neighborhood adjacent to the Central de Abastos market.

At the counter was Daniel, 16, a high school student who often helped out in his spare time; his mother was nearby.

When the young hoodlums demanded he hand over the money and showed a weapon to emphasize their point, a frightened Daniel ran to get away, either toward the backyard or into the house, depending on which report is to be believed. However, the teens chased after him and fired indiscriminately, hitting Daniel, his 65-year-old grandmother and his uncle.

The grandmother, who was hit by a bullet in the leg, and the uncle survived, but Daniel died Tuesday at 4 a.m. in the Moctezuma Pediatric Hospital.

The assailants fled by motorcycle to an awaiting Renault car with license plates from México state. Images captured by security cameras helped the police arrest the alleged perpetrators: Azael, 14; Darwin, 15; and Yosvani, 16. Two of them were said to be residents of Nezahualcóyotl in the state of Mexico, while the oldest reported he lives in Iztapalapa.

According to Plumas Atómicas (Atomic Pens) which deems itself a community of  young writers writing for young readers none of the arrested youths go to school or have a legitimate job, and all were carrying firearms. El Universal reported that Azael and Darwin were released because they’re too young to be charged, and Yosvani was taken to the prosecutor’s office for juvenile crimes.

Azael allegedly told police that an acquaintance had sent them to collect money from the store. He also allegedly said that his mother has been in prison in the state of Hidalgo for six years for robbing a pharmacy.

With reports from El Universal and Plumas Atómicas

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Border patrol vehicles drive along the US-Mexico border

US judge blocks Trump’s ban on asylum claims along Mexico-US border

0
Meanwhile, migrant border crossings have slowed to a trickle.
The logos of CIBanco, Intercam and Vector Casa de Bolsa

Have you been affected by the sanctions on Mexican banks? Let us know!

15
U.S. sanctions have left the future of CIBanco, Intercam and Vector up in the air. We want to hear from readers — have your finances been affected?
people releasing fish in shallow water

Environment Ministry releases 40,000 baby totoaba into the Gulf of California

0
The Environment Ministry, working with the private sector and civil society, has been conducting a repopulation project that included the recent release of 40,000 hatchlings.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity