- A violent encounter near Sonora Market leads to the apprehension of two suspects connected to a notorious criminal group.
- An attempted heist in Iztapalapa’s Plaza Las Antenas results in two arrests, revealing a counterfeit firearm in their possession.
- Recent crime trends in CDMX plazas underscore the city’s ongoing battle against robberies, particularly targeting jewelry stores.
In the vicinity of the Sonora Market in Venustiano Carranza in Mexico City, a shooting erupted, leading to the detention of two individuals suspected of assaulting security officers with firearms. The incident took place in the Merced Balbuena neighborhood and spurred a significant police response on the afternoon of Monday, August 7.
The official communiqué released by Seguridad Ciudadana Mexico City stated that during their investigative work in the vicinity, agents spotted individuals on a motorcycle without license plates. When they attempted to halt these suspects, their directives were disregarded.
Reporter Lisandro González highlighted that there was an exchange of gunfire at the scene, resulting in the arrest of at least one individual. This detainee is purportedly associated with a criminal organization active in the capital’s central zone, as per the journalist’s account.
Omar García Harfuch, who shared images of the injured, disclosed that preliminary, yet unverified, reports from authorities hinted at the detained individual’s affiliation with a criminal faction. Media outlets pinpointed this individual as an alleged member of the Unión Tepito, going by the moniker El Dither.
“The police implemented a security measure, and with the aid of video surveillance, a virtual encirclement was created. It was at this juncture that the duo fired upon the officers, who in the face of imminent danger, retaliated,” read an official statement. In the aftermath, a 20-year-old male sustained injuries and was hospitalized under police watch, while his companion claimed to be 17. A pair of handguns and a motorcycle were also confiscated.
Azucena Uresti, another journalist, provided updates on the detention and the injured party through her social media platforms, shortly before 06:00 pm. The first information concerning the shooting was disseminated on Monday afternoon, approximately at 5:30 am.
Eyewitness accounts and initial interpretations of the event suggested that security personnel aimed to intercept individuals aboard a motorcycle. However, during their attempted escape, shots were fired at the officers. Social media was soon awash with visuals of numerous security officials stationed in the vicinity.
A bystander was shot in the abdomen amidst the chaos, as reported by Telediaro. The media additionally conveyed that a 40-year-old male was injured and subsequently transported by ambulance for medical care.
Two persons were arrested for attempted robbery of a jewelry store
Meanwhile, on the same day, another incident unfolded in Iztapalapa, CDMX, at Plaza Las Antenas. Two individuals were taken into custody following an attempted robbery at a jewelry store. Omar García Harfuch, the head of the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC), detailed that the accused possessed a fake firearm.
In a subsequent statement by the SSC, it was revealed that “upon opening the store, three men demanded to view various items. Suddenly, one threatened the manager with an object resembling a firearm, while his accomplices seized the items and made their escape.”
Post this incident, private security personnel identified the potential culprits in the basement parking. SSC officers subsequently located men fitting the description provided by the store manager. A subsequent search resulted in the discovery of a counterfeit firearm and the stolen jewelry was retrieved.
It’s worth noting that such incidents aren’t unprecedented in the CDMX plazas. On June 26, a jewelry store in Plaza Antara in Polanco was targeted. The culprits employed tools to shatter the storefront and loot the merchandise. Similarly, another robbery transpired at Plaza Parque Tepeyac in the Gustavo A. Madero municipality on July 25.