Man arrested in Surco in connection with murder of candidate Susy Aponte
Peru's National Police arrested a 29-year-old man on Sunday in Lima linked to the attack that killed journalist and regional candidate Susy Aponte in Caraz.
Suspect in 'La China' Polo murder arrested in Surco
Peru's National Police (PNP) arrested a 29-year-old man identified as a suspected perpetrator in the murder of journalist and candidate for the Regional Government of Áncash Susy Aponte, known as 'La China' Polo, in the Lima district of Surco on Sunday, according to infobae.com.
The arrest was made during the morning following intelligence operations that allowed officers to locate the vehicle in which the suspect was travelling. Personnel specialising in homicide investigation took over the case to establish his involvement in the attack. The Second Provincial Criminal Court of Huaylas (Third Office) is leading the investigation.
Aponte was attacked whilst visiting Caraz market alongside members of her political campaign. A hired gunman shot her in the head; other people present at the scene were also injured. The Specialised Prosecution for Violence against Women and Members of the Family Group of Huaylas opened a preliminary investigation into the alleged crime of femicide. The candidate was running for the Regional Government of Áncash in elections scheduled for 4 October.
Before the crime, Aponte had publicly reported death threats and pointed to the then director of Criminal Investigation of the PNP, General Víctor Revoredo Farfán, whom she accused of having "ordered an attack" against her. She had also reported alleged links between police commanders and the criminal organisation 'Los Pulpos' and claimed to have been warned of a potential attack by inmates from three prison centres in the country.
Revoredo was reassigned on Sunday by supreme resolution to the position of director of International Affairs of the police institution. Along with him, 19 other generals and three lieutenant generals of the PNP were relocated in their posts. The new director of Criminal Investigation is General Ricardo Espinoza, who was in command of the police region of La Libertad, one of the jurisdictions with the highest rate of organised crime in the country.
The murder of 'La China' Polo occurs almost a month after another episode of violence attributed to 'Los Pulpos'. On 30 August in Trujillo, members of that gang kidnapped mining businessman Jenss Lara during the early hours in a false police operation: criminals dressed in uniforms of special agents intercepted his vehicle and murdered his four companions—two bodyguards and two women.
Initial investigations suggest the attack would have been retaliation against Lara for allegedly having stopped paying protection money to 'Los Pulpos' in order to pay it to the rival organisation 'La Jauría'. The businessman, who holds mining concessions in Pataz, was released the following day after his family paid a ransom of at least two million soles.
Source: Google News PE — Crime