Four alleged members of a gang dedicated to the theft of catalytic converters and robberies were arrested Wednesday morning.
Mexicali Police said at 8 am a robbery was reported at a water plant located on Grecia Street and Naciones Unidas Avenue in Colonia Orizaba neighborhood.
A victim denounced that the suspects, who apparently are members of the Don Marcos Band, arrived at the scene and one of them, who was identified as César Alberto “N”, 35, aka “Gordo”, brandished a caliber .38 pistol stocked with three useful shots.
Another of the alleged perpetrators took the opportunity to cut the catalytic converter of a white Ford F-250 with an electric hacksaw.
Later, the suspects fled by Naciones Unidas Avenue.
The police was able to locate the Dodge Neon, white, model 2000, with California plates, in which the suspects fled by Eleventh Street and Lázaro Cárdenas Boulevard.
The suspects found their intention to escape thwarted after having collided on Abraham González Avenue and Parral Street in Colonia División del Norte neighborhood.
In addition to the individual who was carrying the firearm, three other suspects were arrested. The suspects were identified by the authorities as Luis Iván, 38, aka “Güero,” originally from Sinaloa, as well as Héctor Manuel, 24, also aka “Güero” and José Idahid, 37, aka “Verruga.”
The suspects also carried the catalytic converter and the hacksaw, authorities said.
According to the police, the detainees are apparently part of the “Don Marcos” criminal gang, named after the person who supplies weapons and vehicles to carry out the robberies.
Don Marcos presumably also buys the converters at an address located in the Virreyes neighborhood.
Teachers get bonus paid, still on strike
Although retired teachers and some others with the school community got paid a weeks due bonus members of the locals with the National Education Worker’s Union decided to stay on strike.
In public statements released in social media, the union’s locals 2 and 37 announced that the strike will continue until the state pays the bonus to all employees.
Local 37 Secretary General Ampelio Iñiguez said the bonus was paid to active and retired teachers, but not the extraordinary payroll payment.
Last Thursday union representatives held a meeting with State Secretary of the Treasury Marco Antonio Mexía and Secretary of Government Catalino Zavala, in which the authorities made a commitment to pay by Tuesday all due monies to teachers and education workers.
Iñiguez, along with the union’s Local 2 Secretary General Juan Enrique Villanueva decided to keep the strike that has affected hundreds of thousands of students statewide.
Lawmaker proposes bill to punish medical items robbery
A state lawmaker introduced a bill that, if enacted, would punish those who rob medical items.
Assemblyman Cesar Adrian Gonzalez Garcia proposed to include in the Penal Code an article to address robbery of medical items from public institutions.
The lawmaker said the issue was worsened during the pandemic as criminal bands had now opted to rob oxygen tanks, medicine, face masks, face protectors, antibacterial gel, and other items needed to protect patients.
Nationwide, as of March 90 investigations related to the problem were opened, with the state of Queretaro leading with at least 16 cases.
Last year, healthcare staff and hospitals sued the government to demand providing such items, the lawmaker said.
Lack of items worsened as criminal bands started robbing items in several states, Gonzalez Garcia said.
Man indicted for sexual abuse
A man who on Oct. 25 allegedly committed sexual abuse of a housekeeper was indicted by a state judge, the Attorney General’s office said.
According to the agency Cristian Doe, no age reported, has been accused of the crime reportedly occurred in Ciudad Morelos rural town.
The agency said the victim, who was cleaning a house was sexually assaulted by the suspect.
The judge decided to keep the suspect in prison during trial and gave prosecutors three months to close the investigation.
Men charged for homicide
A man was indicted by a state judge for a March 2020 homicide of an individual in rural Mexicali, the state Attorney General’s office said.
According to the authorities, a judge indicted Raúl Alberto, no age reported, for the assassination of Víctor Manuel Velázquez Márquez.
The agency said the suspect and the victim had previous issues.
On March 13, 2020, the suspect allegedly assaulted the victim.
Then, the suspect took the victim to a dirt road located between Ejido Nuevo León and Ejido Saltillo rural towns to continue the assault.
The agency said the suspect apparently shot at the victim four times.
When the suspect saw the victim had died Raúl Alberto buried the corpse at the scene and fled in order to avoid his arrest.
The judge decided to keep the suspect in prison during trial and gave prosecutors two months to close the investigation.
