Man shot dead on La Marina avenue in Callao in broad daylight
Frank Alexis Ardiles Rodríguez, 38, was shot at least four times outside a construction site in La Perla, Callao. Police are investigating a possible settling of scores or extortion of building-sector companies.
Man shot and killed outside construction site in La Perla, Callao
A 38-year-old man died after receiving at least four gunshots on La Marina avenue, in the district of La Perla, Callao, at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, 15 October. According to infobae.com, the attack occurred in a busy commercial area, outside a construction site and a few metres from a fire station.
The victim was identified as Frank Alexis Ardiles Rodríguez. Witnesses in the area indicated that he was speaking with the manager of a construction site about to begin operations when a man arrived on foot, approached him and shot him several times. The attacker fled after the crime; the person accompanying Ardiles Rodríguez also left the scene before officers arrived.
No gunshots heard: police evaluate use of silencer
Several neighbours reported not hearing the detonations, a detail that led investigators to consider the possibility that the attacker used a silenced weapon. That detail still needs to be confirmed through relevant forensic examination.
The crime occurred during a time of heavy foot and vehicular traffic. Workers and customers from restaurants and shops in the area sought shelter during the minutes following the attack. Forensic experts inspected the scene and collected spent bullet casings scattered on the ground.
Two lines of investigation: settling of scores or extortion racket
The National Police of Peru is handling two main hypotheses. The first points to a possible settling of scores. The second considers a presumed conflict linked to the collection of extortion fees from construction works in the area, a practice that some neighbours identified as a recurring threat from criminal gangs on projects located on La Marina avenue.
According to coverage by 24 Horas and Latina Noticias, investigators are evaluating the possibility that Ardiles Rodríguez had gone to the site accompanied in order to allegedly demand money from the person in charge of the construction work. However, the authorities have not yet confirmed that motive or the exact relationship between the people involved.
Neighbours' testimonies about threats from criminal organisations in the area form part of the context that investigators will need to analyse, but on their own do not make it possible to establish that the murder was the result of a dispute over extortion.
Security cameras, key to identifying the attacker
Investigators are seeking to access recordings from security cameras installed in shops in the area. At least one nearby establishment had cameras whose information was expected to be obtained to be made available to police.
Analysis of those images could reveal the movements of the attacker before and after the crime, as well as determine whether other people participated in the planning of the attack or facilitated his escape. Police also carried out steps to gather statements from those who were in the vicinity at the time of the incident.
As the investigation continues, the hypotheses about a settling of scores and extortion of construction works remain open. The authorities are still working to identify those responsible and clarify the motive for the murder in La Perla.
Source: Google News PE — Crime