Mayor's brother in Pataz shot dead in Trujillo
Homero Armas, brother of the district mayor of Pataz, was gunned down by unknown assailants in Trujillo. Investigators link the crime to mining activities.
Homero Armas shot and killed in California neighbourhood in Trujillo
Two armed men intercepted Homero Armas at the intersection of Juan Julio Ganoza and Las Hortensias streets in Trujillo in the early morning of 7 September. The attackers fired six shots at him as he was heading towards his personal vehicle. Several companions and workers from a nearby food establishment assisted the wounded man on the public pavement, but a car that transported him to Sanna clinic could not prevent his death, certified by the on-duty doctors.
According to elcomercio.pe, the victim was the brother of Segundo Armas, district mayor of Pataz, in the La Libertad region.
The National Police of Peru inspected a red pick-up truck linked to the deceased that remained near the scene. Forensic experts seized a firearm with ammunition found inside a bag inside the vehicle. Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division are analysing security camera images from the area to establish the escape route of those responsible.
The investigators' preliminary hypothesis links the homicide to Armas's mining activities in the La Libertad highlands. Trujillo and Pataz have seen an escalation of violence associated with the control of gold extraction and transport. La Libertad has remained under a state of emergency continuously since February 2024, a measure adopted to contain the activities of organised crime.
The Public Ministry of La Libertad recorded three preliminary investigations against Homero Armas as an accused party for common crimes: aggravated usurpation, simple theft and interference with the normal functioning of public services. The competent authorities also denied him a request for entry into the Comprehensive Mining Formalisation Registry.
Armas had also served as a leader of peasant patrols and faced criminal charges for a road blockade recorded in 2020.
Source: Google News PE — Crime