Mexico - Paul Nielsen & Janeth Vasquez, shot/killed after failing to stop at checkpoint, 18 Jul 2019

[PastTense]

"A Utah couple was shot to death in Mexico on Thursday. According to a Mexican news site, the couple’s 12-year-old child was injured during the shooting.

SDP Noticias reported the family was driving through the community of Petatlan in the state of Guerrero at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, when they failed to stop at a police checkpoint and were shot. The news site identified the victims as Paul Nielsen, 48 and Janeth Vasquez, 43.

According to another Mexican news outlet, Quadratin, Gov. Hector Astudillo Flores said the incident is reprehensible from any point of view and it's a priority issue to investigate."
Utah couple fatally shot, son injured in Mexico after failing to stop at checkpoint

Another article which say "possibly [killed] by police":
Utah man and his wife reportedly killed for not stopping at Mexican checkpoint

It surprises me that there is so little media coverage of this.

As to why they didn't stop? Didn't understand Spanish? Thought they were robbers?

 

[SuziQ]

I wonder if the checkpoint looked more like a gang shakedown

 

[al66pine]

Repatriating 'His' Body
Utah man and his wife reportedly killed for not stopping at Mexican checkpoint. July 19
From ^ article re bringing his body back to US, I wondered if there was a reporter misunderstanding/miswording. Then went to fund raising page dtd July 18, purportedly sponsored by his sister, which said they want to help "his family in any way they need" but referred only to bringing his body back.

I'm hoping there will be sufficient $$$ to repatriate the boy, cover medical expenses and other needs. This is so sad, Mother & Father both dead and 12 y/o boy injured.

Not stopping at LE checkpoint?I wonder if there is more to the story, like @SuziQ said.

 

[10ofRods]

Would be hard to distinguish between real police and faux police in the middle of the night in Mexico (and, well, one of the best pieces of advice I got before going to live in Mexico was to treat all police as if they were capable of anything and not to go to them for any kind of help).

Being on the road in Guerrero at 3:30 am is a very iffy thing to do.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Why on earth would you be traveling those roads at 3:30 a.m. in the morning? There has to be more to this story.

 

[PastTense]

According to the Salt Lake Tribune:
"Reforma, a news outlet based in Mexico City, reported the couple was traveling through the state of Guerrero, from the port of Acapulco to Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, a beach resort town. About 4 a.m., near the city of Petatlán, the couple was “intercepted by a group of armed men” and shot. The men “stripped them” of their car, the story said. The couple has been identified as Paul Nielsen, 48, and his wife, Janeth Vázquez, 43, who reportedly is originally from Puebla, Mexico. Their 12-year-old son was traveling with them and was also shot but did not die, according Reforma."
Salt Lake City couple shot and killed in Mexico

Here is the Reforma article:
Matan a 2 turistas de Puebla en Guerrero

and the Google translation of that article:
Google Translate

So quite different from the early reports saying it was a police checkpoint.

 

[Gardenista]

So glad you posted this. I saw it earlier but forgot to post and I am really interested in seeing WTH happened here.

 

[ilovematt]

So, they were not police and this family got robbed and murdered? Wonder why it’s so shhhhhh?

 

[10ofRods]

So...did they take a red eye flight in and think it was okay to travel at night to Ixtapa? There was a time I would have thought that was okay, too.

The State of Guerrero is where, in 2014, the 43 Mexican students were killed. People always say that tourists don't get hurt - but they do.

Ixtapa-Z is 4 hours from Acapulco. If they were near Ixtapa and in a dark section, they must have left Acapulco at midnight (at any rate, they left knowing they'd be on the road in the middle of the night).

All of this for a car and a bit of cash. There's also this very sad story from Cabo:

K-pop star Samuel's father Jose Arredondo killed in Mexico, fans urge him to 'stay strong'

Tourists, thinking they're in tourist areas, I guess.

Mexico only started recording homicide data in the mid-1990's and rates seemed to be going down, then they hit a record in 2017 (unless 2018 broke it). About 3 times higher than the US homicide rate. Guerrero (where Acapulco is) saw a sharp rise in 2017 and Cabo San Lucas had rates that tripled between 2016 and 2017.

Mexico reports highest murder rate on record - CNN

 

[JerseyGirl]

They encountered a roadblock put up by a local drug cartel to extort travelers.

The family isn’t aware of anyone pursuing the killers.

News articles and the mortuary handling Paul's body have described execution-style gunshots to the faces.

Utah couple shot and killed in Mexico

 

[SuziQ]

That poor boy! My daughter vacationed with her in laws at the same beach town this family was headed to. They were pulled over by local LE who said they needed to give them money or go to jail. I think everyone dug up 500 dollars. There is nothing you can do about it.

Utah couple visiting Mexico fatally shot execution-style after failing to stop at checkpoint

 

[YESorNO]

As people mourn Jose Arredondo’s death, homicide investigation continues in Mexico (with clip)

"...Authorities have not released an autopsy report, but do confirm Arredondo was beaten and stabbed with a sharp object. It’s been 10 days and we still have many questions about his death. But, Mexican authorities say we may be close to getting some of them answered.

“We are close to judicializing the respective investigation file and obtaining the official resolution based on the judicialization that is being developed,” said Daniel De La Rosa Anaya, Baja California Sur District Attorney. “However, it is important to inform citizens that in this case justice will be served. We are working to make it completely clear.”..."

As people mourn Jose Arredondo’s death, homicide investigation continues in Mexico
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