TransMilenio guard killed in Soacha for asking passenger to pay fare
Cristian Garzón, 27, died stabbed at Terreros station after asking a user to pay his ticket. Mayor Galán promised those responsible will go to prison.
TransMilenio guard stabbed to death in Soacha while performing fare-evasion duty
Cristian David Garzón Castro, a 27-year-old security guard, was murdered on Tuesday morning at the Terreros TransMilenio station, located in Soacha, a municipality neighbouring Bogotá, according to noticiascaracol.com. The attack occurred around 9:50 a.m., when Garzón asked a person to pay their fare, in accordance with his role as a member of the fare-evasion squad of the company Top Guard Ltda.
The victim was attacked with a bladed weapon. Citizens recorded the moment when his colleagues attempted to help him and were dragging him to a health centre located opposite the station. "What a tragedy!", exclaimed a witness whilst the guards were trying to save his life. Despite their efforts, Garzón died from his injuries.
The Mayor of Bogotá, Carlos Fernando Galán, stated that the case "will not go unpunished" and assured that the District would support the authorities "to ensure that these criminals pay for what they did and remain in prison".
Top Guard Ltda, the company for which Garzón worked, confirmed his death and described him as a "young, brave and committed" professional who "exercised his profession with honour until his last breath". The company noted that Terreros is one of the busiest stations in the system and that one of the guard's functions was precisely to prevent fare evasion.
"Cristian Garzón died for asking someone to pay a fare. That truth, as simple as it is devastating, must resonate in the collective conscience of our society," Top Guard stated in a statement. The firm extended its solidarity to the parents, family members and friends of the victim and committed to supporting them and fulfilling its responsibilities towards them.
TransMilenio, for its part, expressed condolences to the guard's relatives and called for reflection. "No difference, discussion or situation related to access to public transport can justify violence. Human life has an invaluable worth and cannot be worth less than a fare," the entity stated, making a call to reject all forms of aggression and to build a culture of respect and dialogue.
Source: Google News CO — Bogotá