A man who allegedly killed a college student last year was arrested Monday by state Ministerial police officers, said the Attorney General’s office.
Assistant Attorney General por Special Investigations José González said state police officers arrested Jesús Alberto “Doe,” 24.
The suspect allegedly killed his friend María Luisa Cuevas, an Autonomous University of Baja California student at the College of Architecture and Design.
González said the victim’s mother found her daughter’s naked body laying at her bed in their Fraccionamiento Valle de los Angeles neighborhood residence in western Mexicali.
Authorities determined the victim died due to suffocation with a pillow.
Authorities said the victim and the suspect were friends and met on Oct. 3, when Cuevas invited the male to her house given her mother and sister left the city.
After several hours and for unknown reasons the couple began an argument that led the suspect to presumably kill the victim.
The judge granted the arrest warrant and police officers apprehended the suspect at Fraccionamiento San Miguel subdivision.
The suspect was booked in Mexicali Jail, where he awaits for his indictment hearing.
Allegations brought against state police
The Mexicali chair of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI in Spanish, said the state attempts to influence voters during the midterm elections of June 5 through public benefit programs and the state police department.
PRI Local Chair Ricardo Aguilera said he has received “trustworthy information” regarding the intention to send state police officers to benefit the ruling National Action Party, or PAN in Spanish.
He went on to say this is not a new issue given three years ago there were “clear indications” of state police officers operations.
Aguilera law enforcement agents alleged task is to intimidate voters and volunteers from political parties other than PAN.
“They have a more powerful reason this time as the state Secretary of Public Safety Daniel De La Rosa’s brother is running for the assembly in Mexicali Valley,” he said.
Aguilera said too that state agencies are delivering groceries and construction items to potential voters in order to favor the PAN.
“In democracy, when the government interferes and benefits one side elections can get contaminated,” he said. “The state Preventive Police Department must not intervene or forbid voting next June 5.”
In a press release, the secretary denied any wrongdoing.
The agency underlined the fact that several days ago an agreement was signed with leaders from the State Electoral Institute to provide election authorities all public safety resources to attend any request.
“The goal for all authorities is to work for a tranquil and transparent election,” the agency said.
Any reports can be made at the police hotline 066.
The Safety Coordinating State Group is composed by federal, military, state, and local police agencies.
Aguilera said his party is ready to detect and report any anomalies during election day.
Pension funds misspent, official says
A state official admitted during a legislative hearing that the funds approved by the Assembly to pay for teachers’ pensions were utilized in infrastructure.
Undersecretary of Finance and Planning Miguel Angel Rodríguez reported Monday about the final destination the 2,850 million pesos loan approved by the assembly originally to pay retirement benefits and to avoid bankruptcy of Issstecali, the agency in charge of public employees’ healthcare and pensions.
Rodríguez said the federal government approved new regulations that forbid state and local governments from spending loan money in infrastructure instead of general services.
Retirement benefits were considered as general services, so the state government had to spend those funds in other areas.
Rodríguez said the funds approved by lawmakers has not been accessed by the state, and explained it is in fact a cap in the credit line voted in favor by assembly members.
The undersecretary also said last year 403 teachers received pension benefits and in 2016 the state has retired 350 more teachers.
Assembly members Mónica Bedoya, Cynthia Ruiz, and Francisco Barraza attended the meeting as well as State Education Workers Union Secretary General Agustín Morales and representatives from Issstecali and the Secretary of Education.
