A state official said during the weekend over 384,000 visitors went to Baja California and spent US $27.2 million.
Undersecretary of Tourism Ives Lelevier said beaches were the most visited sites during the Holy Week, where 131,043 visitors stayed in hotels and 125,904 visited for few hours.
Of the visitors, 56 percent were Mexican and 44 percent from other countries.
San Felipe was visited by 41,235 people and Mexicali by 82,286, the official said.
Tourists spent US $2.8 million in San Felipe and US $5.7 million in Mexicali.
The undersecretary said San Felipe’s hotel occupancy rate was 100 percent, while Mexicali’s was 44 percent.
Statewide the hotel occupancy rate was 73 percent, an increase of 23 percent compared to last year.
The agency received 442 calls at the 078 tourist hotline, of which 10 percent of callers asked for assistance at highways.
Lelevier said two fatal accidents were reported at highways, with one of them at the San Felipe highway. However, authorities reported a decrease in traffic accidents compared to past years.
The undersecretary said weather and an increased trust by visitors were factors that helped the state obtain positive results.
Man arrested for robbery
A 21-year-old man was arrested late Monday after allegedly committing a robbery in a convenience store, said the Municipal Public Safety Department.
At 10:15 p.m. a robbery was reported by the employee of a Tecate Six store at Río San Fernando and Cuervos Street at Villas del Colorado neighborhood in southern Mexicali.
A store employee told police officers the suspect arrived with a gun and demanded money and cigarettes.
However, after listening to a police patrol siren the suspect fled on foot with few packs of cigarettes, authorities said.
Police agents found and arrested Victor few blocks away and transported the suspect to the police headquarters to begin his criminal processing.
Also on Monday two teenagers were arrested early Monday after trespassing into the City Zoo, while a 42-year-old man was arrested at night after jumping into a Catholic convent located at Colonia Corregidora neighborhood.
Bill to curb illegal cars introduced
A state lawmaker introduced a bill to detect in an easier way illegal or reported stolen vehicles by amending the Law to Regulate Vehicle Control Services.
Assemblyman Julio Vázquez, with the Workers Party (or PT in Spanish), said the goal of the bill is to have an appropriate law that would adapt to the changing conditions of vehicles and to have better control in revenue, property and safety issues.
The bill, if enacted, would mandate the creation of a new database with vehicle information to curb illegal, stolen vehicles with fraudulent plates.
If the bill is adopted, vehicle plates would have to match both the sticker and registration documents, according to the bill’s text.
Soles go to finals
Soles de Mexicali basketball team obtained Monday night one of the starring roles in the finals of Mexico’s National Professional Basketball League by defeating Gigantes –or Giants- from the State of Mexico in five games.
The final score in Game 5, played in Toluca, was 67-56.
Soles had one of the worst third quarters Monday, when the Mexicali team failed constantly.
However, for the final quarter the only Baja California team of the league dominated all the way to bring victory home.
Soles lost Saturday 75-78.
Mexicali won the first three games 107-68, 91-68, and 89-72.
Soles made it to its fifth final series of its history.
Mexicali, the standing champion of the league, will face Sunday Pioneros de Quintana Roo, whom defeated Fuerza Regia from Monterrey in five games in the other semifinal series.
Pioneros has made it to the finals for three consecutive years.
