Quadruple femicide in Merlo: autopsy reveals two shots to the head of each victim
A man shot dead his wife and three children in Mariano Acosta, Merlo, before taking his own life. Forensic examinations revealed that each victim received two bullets to the head.
Forensic examinations confirm methodical execution in Merlo family crime
The initial forensic examinations carried out on the bodies of a woman and her three children, shot dead by the father of the family in the Buenos Aires locality of Mariano Acosta, Merlo district, revealed that each of the four victims received two shots to the head, according to infobae.com citing judicial sources.
The attack occurred early Thursday morning in a single-storey dwelling located on Mercedes Street at number 2400, between Ensenada and Dinamarca. Investigators suspect that the perpetrator acted with deliberate coldness to ensure he would carry out the murders before taking his own life.
The victims and the alleged murderer
The victims were identified as Evelyn Carolina Rivero Mejías, a 41-year-old systems analyst, and her children Dan Velkan, aged 14; Alan Nehru, aged 12; and Nicole Valentina, aged 10. The alleged perpetrator of the quadruple crime was identified as Mahatma Eyvind Soihit Meza, aged 44, who had a single gunshot wound to the left temple. Next to his body, officers found a 9-millimetre calibre pistol, brand Sarsilmaz.
The family, of Venezuelan origin, had been in the neighbourhood for just one month, having moved from Marcos Paz. As Rivero Mejías did not show up to work that day, a colleague went to the property after failing to reach her. Looking through a window, he saw the five bodies and called 911.
Weeks earlier he displayed weapons on social media
Soihit Meza's public social media profile showed a marked fondness for firearms. In early October he had posted photos of a Sarsilmaz SAR 9 pistol, the same model found at the crime scene. Three weeks before the attack, he also shared images of a shooting practice session.
One of his contacts commented on that post: "Good shots, mate". Soihit Meza replied: "Thanks mate, you have to practise and always be prepared".
Commercial records linked him to information technology consultancy services and software supply to the Tax and Customs Collection Agency (ARCA). He had also had registered employment at an insurance firm and in activities related to vehicle sales and repair. He had no record of bank debts.
A decade in Argentina after arriving from Venezuela
The family had arrived in Argentina over a decade ago. In October 2017, Soihit Meza participated in a Facebook group of Venezuelans residing in Buenos Aires to share his experience with someone considering emigrating. He recounted that he had arrived in the country alone, stayed in a San Telmo hostel and found work in Chinese shops whilst living on rice, pasta and other inexpensive products.
"I now have my whole family here, my wife and my three children," he wrote then. And he encouraged the enquirer: "Don't let them tell you it can't be done. Believe in yourself, brother".
The neighbourhood in shock
Neighbours in the area said they heard gunshots early Thursday morning, although no one called the police at that time. The neighbourhood, characterised by low-rise houses, tree-lined pavements and light traffic, was described by residents as a quiet area of working people.
"It hit us like a bolt from the blue," one neighbour told media present at the scene. A neighbour recalled seeing Rivero Mejías for the last time the previous Monday: "She used to pass by on her bicycle and was a very attentive person".
The legal case
The investigation was placed in the hands of Functional Investigation Unit No. 8 of Morón, headed by prosecutors Adriana Suárez Corripio and Nicolás Filippini. Scientific Police personnel carried out forensic work at the property.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires