March in José C. Paz over the murder of Elías Ojeda Vázquez, shot by motorcycle thieves
Residents and relatives marched to the municipality of José C. Paz following the crime of Elías Ojeda Vázquez, 21 years old, murdered by motorcycle thieves posing as delivery workers.
Residents demand justice after young man shot dead during robbery in José C. Paz
Residents and relatives of Elías Ojeda Vázquez, the 21-year-old murdered by motorcycle thieves on Monday night in José C. Paz, marched on Tuesday to the municipality to demand justice and increased security, according to a report by tn.com.ar.
The mobilisation began at the intersection of Route 197 and Gaspar Campos, where protesters blocked the street and burned tyres and wood. After several hours, the column moved towards the municipal building, located a few blocks from the gathering point.
The municipality demands answers from Governor Kicillof
Earlier, the authorities of José C. Paz issued a statement expressing solidarity with the family and directing their demands to Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof. "The municipality of José C. Paz expresses its deep regret at the death of David Elías Ojeda Vázquez and accompanies with respect and solidarity the family and loved ones," the statement reads.
The text continues: "Given the gravity of what happened, we demand that the governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, strengthen security throughout the territory and especially in our district". The local authorities emphasised that "security requires immediate action" and that it is the provincial government who "must assume full and complete responsibility".
How the attack occurred
The attack took place on Monday at around 21:30 at the intersection of Polonia and Piñero streets. Elías was returning home on his motorcycle after visiting the gymnasium when two criminals in another vehicle, posing as Pedidos Ya delivery workers, intercepted him and threatened him with a weapon to hand over the motorcycle.
The young man attempted to escape by accelerating his vehicle. One of the assailants shot him in the back; the bullet caused him to lose control and fall onto the pavement. Security cameras in the area recorded the complete sequence of the incident.
The criminals approached again whilst Elías was on the ground and took the motorcycle. The vehicle has not been recovered so far.
According to a reconstruction by Mediodía Noticias, the young man, described as very religious, managed to say "forgive me, Lord" after being shot. He remained approximately 15 minutes at the scene until an ambulance arrived which urgently transported him to Mercante Hospital, where he died from his wounds.
Delivery workers alert over use of Pedidos Ya backpacks
The crime generated concern among delivery workers in the area, who approached to accompany the family and demand justice. According to their account, they maintain contact through WhatsApp groups to alert each other about robberies and suspicious movements in the area.
The workers noted that the criminals use Pedidos Ya backpacks to pose as delivery workers, and that these items can be easily obtained through social networks or even borrowed from third parties.
The two perpetrators of the robbery and homicide remain at large. Investigators are analysing images captured by security cameras at the intersection and at other points in the area to attempt to reconstruct the escape route and determine the whereabouts of the suspects.
Source: Google News BO — La Paz