Two men shot down in Santa Cruz within minutes
Two violent murders shook the capital of Cruz de la Sierra on Monday. Police deployed all of its units to find the hitmen responsible.
Double homicide in Santa Cruz alarms population
Two men were shot down with gunfire at different points in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on Monday, 28 September, within a span of minutes, according to El Deber. The modus operandi was identical in both cases: armed individuals intercepted the victims and gunned them down with firearm shots.
The first homicide occurred in the vicinity of the second ring road and Avenida Mutualista. The victim, identified as Cristian Bowles Antelo, attempted to escape from the hitman who intercepted him as he was getting out of his vehicle. He crossed the avenue, but was gunned down before he could flee. A woman who was travelling in the same vehicle was wounded by a bullet in the thoracic region and was urgently transferred to a clinic.
The second murder was recorded in the Pampa de la Isla area. The victim, who has not yet been identified, was aboard a motorcycle. According to reports, the driver transporting him took him to an alleyway, where he was murdered.
The departmental police commander, Colonel Edson Fernández, confirmed the deployment of operational and investigative units to both crime scenes. "We have deployed all police units, both operational and investigative. There is already progress," declared the police chief.
Fernández stressed that both deaths occurred in broad daylight and that the institution has an obligation to investigate and clarify the crimes. Regarding a person injured linked to the incidents, the colonel requested confidentiality regarding their identity: "We have an injured person with whom we must exercise maximum caution regarding the matter of their identity," he emphasised.
The two homicides generated alarm among residents of the capital of Cruz de la Sierra, several of whom were witnesses to the incidents upon hearing the gunshots. Investigations to find the perpetrators remain ongoing.
Source: El Deber