Massacre in Mexico: Argentine detainee was partner of musician Jonathan Meléndez
Diego Sebastián Rosen Ferlini, an Argentine-Mexican businessman, was arrested as the primary suspect in the quadruple homicide. Authorities are investigating economic conflicts between the two partners.
Argentine-Mexican businessman, primary suspect in quadruple murder in State of Mexico
According to lmneuquen.com, the investigation into the massacre that shook Mexico led to the arrest of Diego Sebastián Rosen Ferlini, a businessman with Argentine and Mexican nationality, identified as the primary suspect in the killing of musician Jonathan Meléndez, 38 years old, founder and keyboardist of the band Camilo Séptimo.
Along with Meléndez, his partner Ana Paula Barragán, 35 years old and four months pregnant; the couple's daughter, Sofía, three years old; and Aleyda Romero, 21 years old, a domestic employee of the residence, were murdered. A six-year-old son of the couple survived.
The bodies and crime scene
Police sources confirmed that all four bodies were found bound in the flat where the massacre occurred, including the family's pet. The child showed a gunshot wound to the head, whilst the domestic employee had bullet wounds to her back, according to the State of Mexico Attorney General's Office (FGJEM).
Building security cameras recorded Rosen Ferlini entering the location on Tuesday at 17:24. He was detained the following morning in the La Marquesa area. A second man, identified as Gerardo N., was also arrested and reportedly drove him to the flat.
As of the close of information available on Friday, Rosen Ferlini remained in custody of Mexican authorities and had not yet been formally charged by a judge.
The link between the suspect and the victim
The initial investigative hypothesis holds that those responsible may have entered the residence without forcing access, taking advantage of the relationship of trust that Rosen Ferlini maintained with Meléndez. Both were business partners in a vacation rental management company.
"The investigations established that one of those detained was a partner of one of the victims. Allegedly, he took advantage of that relationship of trust to enter the residence," declared Mexico's Security Secretary, Omar García Harfuch.
García Harfuch also noted that initial inquiries point to a dispute linked with money between the two partners. Authorities are investigating whether debts or economic conflicts existed as a possible motive for the quadruple homicide.
In Valle de Bravo, Rosen Ferlini and Meléndez reportedly jointly managed some 32 tourist properties, with prices ranging from 7,000 to 50,000 Mexican pesos per night.
Background: complaints over luxury rentals
Months before the crime, the name of Rosen Ferlini had already appeared in posts by people claiming to have lost substantial sums of money in transactions linked with the short-term rental of high-end properties.
One of those testimonies was published on 21 July, several weeks before the murders. A woman claimed to have lost approximately 500,000 Mexican pesos—around 30,000 dollars—after booking a property in Valle de Bravo, and said she was in contact with at least ten other people in a similar situation.
Another family recounted having handed over 400,000 Mexican pesos to reserve a villa in Acapulco to celebrate a family member's birthday. One day before the trip they stopped receiving replies and were removed from a WhatsApp group used to co-ordinate the booking. According to their account, they never recovered the money.
The accounts point to a venture dedicated to the rental of tourist properties that allegedly operated first under the name "+Relax" and then as "Nomad P.M.". The residences offered were located in Mexican destinations such as Valle de Bravo, Acapulco and Tepoztlán, and were promoted for large groups with swimming pool and garden services and other amenities.
State of the investigation
Rosen Ferlini is based in Mexico, where he developed various commercial activities over the years. Public records cited by Mexican media indicate that he was involved in the establishment of several companies from the early 2000s.
The complaints linked with the rentals remain, for now, in the realm of public testimonies. It is not established that all those allegations resulted in formal judicial complaints against Rosen Ferlini, although the accounts gained wider circulation after his arrest.
Criminal responsibility of the businessman will be determined by Mexican justice.
"Faced with a crime of this gravity, the institutions acted immediately and in a co-ordinated manner. The two probable perpetrators are already in detention," affirmed Security Secretary García Harfuch.
Source: Google News AR — Crime