Taxi driver shot dead at close range on Avenida Colonial, Cercado de Lima
Alejandro Temoche Valdez, 32, was shot in the face and chest by a hitman who descended from a red car. Lima has accumulated 602 homicides in 2026.
Hitman kills taxi driver in front of passengers on Avenida Colonial
A 32-year-old taxi driver, Alejandro Temoche Valdez, was shot dead on the night of Friday 16 October on Avenida Colonial, a few blocks from the intersection with Avenida Universitaria, in Cercado de Lima, according to infobae.com.
According to witness accounts gathered at the scene, a red car cut him off after dropping off his last passengers. An armed individual descended from the vehicle and shot him at close range. Temoche Valdez sustained several impacts to the face and chest, and died inside his taxi.
No prior threats reported, according to those close to him
People close to the victim arrived at the crime scene and stated that he worked as a conventional taxi driver, with no links to organised groups or criminal organisations. One of his acquaintances said that the man had returned from a trip approximately two months earlier and was unaware that he had received any threats.
The police reported, however, that Temoche Valdez had an outstanding warrant for the alleged crime of receiving stolen goods. This information prompted rejection from his family members, who requested that he not be linked with criminal activities until the circumstances of the case were clarified. A family member present at the scene asked journalists to verify the information before spreading reports about the victim.
Investigation led by Depincri Callao
Officers from the National Police arrived at the scene to gather evidence. Personnel from Callao also attended to support proceedings, despite the crime occurring within Cercado de Lima. The case was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department (Depincri) Callao, which must identify those responsible, establish the motive, and reconstruct the circumstances of the homicide.
Lima: 602 homicides so far in 2026
The crime occurs in a context of persistent violence in the capital. According to the National Computer System of Deaths (SINADEF), Lima accumulated 602 homicides between January and October 2026, whilst at the national level 1,612 cases were recorded in the same period.
Attacks against transport drivers reflect a documented trend. The Public Ministry's Crime Observatory recorded 214 attacks linked to alleged extortion against public transport in Metropolitan Lima and Callao between August 2024 and May 2026. These attacks left 152 dead and 131 injured among drivers, passengers and fare collectors; drivers represented 69.3 per cent of the victims.
The report further notes that 97.7 per cent of attacks with victims were perpetrated with firearms. Between January and May 2026 alone, 126 attacks against public transport in Lima and Callao were recorded, of which 87 resulted in people being killed or injured.
Source: Google News PE — Lima