Argentine businessman accused of quadruple murder in Mexico: debts and threats preceding crime
Mexico's prosecutors revealed that the Argentine suspect demanded money and made threats against musician Jonathan Meléndez before the multiple killings in Atizapán de Zaragoza.
Debts and threats: the motive for the quadruple crime attributed to an Argentine in Mexico
According to clarin.com, Mexico State's Attorney General's Office (FGJEM) confirmed that there had been a prior commercial relationship between Diego Sebastián Rosen Ferlini, 51, and musician Jonathan Meléndez, 38, who was murdered along with his family on 1 September in Atizapán de Zaragoza, on the outskirts of Mexico City.
Omar García Harfuch, secretary for Security and Citizen Protection, revealed that the principal suspect had demanded money from the victim and made threats against him before the crime. "What is a fact is that he was demanding money, there was an extortion demand, there were certain threats, and this regrettable multiple homicide was committed," the official stated, though he specified that the exact amount demanded remains unconfirmed.
The victims and the discovery
Meléndez, a member of the band Camilo Séptimo, was murdered in his apartment along with his pregnant wife, four months along, his three-year-old daughter, and Aleyda, a 21-year-old domestic employee of the household. One of the musician's six-year-old sons was found alive hidden beneath a bed.
Rosen Ferlini and an accomplice were arrested within 12 hours of the bodies being discovered. García Harfuch indicated that the principal suspect had a criminal record, though he referred specifics to the state prosecutor's office.
The case file under reserve
The FGJEM requested that part of the case file information be kept under reserve until the first court hearing, in order not to compromise the development of the proceedings. Federal authorities established contact with state prosecutor José Luis Cervantes and state Security Secretary Pablo Vázquez to coordinate investigations, aimed at determining whether there were other parties involved.
Profile of the detainee
Rosen Ferlini is a businessman with dual Argentine and Mexican nationality. His links with Argentina are scarce: he has no criminal record or pension contributions in the country, and his only documented trace is a tax address in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Saavedra, which he is said to have last visited in 2020. In his Instagram profile he presented himself with the phrase "the idea is to die young... as late as possible", a detail that gained public relevance following his arrest.
The economic hypothesis
The principal line of investigation points to an economic conflict linked to a tourist rental venture that both shared as partners. However, according to available information, the figures in dispute would be too small to explain the level of violence employed.
According to the account reconstructed by authorities, Meléndez himself had warned a friend, hours before dying, that he would meet with his partner. He asked that the friend alert the police if he did not hear from him within a short time. That call did not come in time.
Assistance for families
Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez reported that the Mexico State Government is leading assistance for the victims' families through the state victims commission, the System for the Comprehensive Development of the Family (DIF), and the Minors Protection Office. Rodríguez emphasised that there is ongoing dialogue with the family and that the federal Government, by instruction of President Claudia Sheinbaum, is available to intervene if necessary.
Source: Google News AR — Crime