Double murder in Canelones: couple shot dead in front of their children aged 8 months and 5 years
Matías (27) and Lucía (24) were shot dead in the Colinas de Solymar neighbourhood by criminals on motorcycles. Their two young children were left orphaned and handed over to a relative.
Couple killed in front of their children in Canelones neighbourhood
Matías, aged 27, and Lucía, aged 24, were shot dead on Sunday evening at their home in the Colinas de Solymar neighbourhood in Canelones whilst their two young children were present. This was reported by infobae.com, based on the Telemundo news programme on Channel 12.
According to initial reports, criminals who arrived on two black motorcycles fired at least three bursts of gunfire at the couple. When police arrived at the scene, both were already dead. Several spent cartridges were found on the pavement.
The children unharmed; investigation points to settling of accounts
The two minors who witnessed the attack are Alma, an eight-month-old baby, and Agustín, aged five. Both were unharmed. After carrying out the double murder, the attackers also opened fire on a neighbouring house where relatives of the victims live before fleeing.
On Sunday, the children were taken to the El Pinar police station and handed over to a relative who took charge of them. The investigators' main hypothesis points to a settling of accounts.
Neighbours mistook gunfire for celebration of match
Several neighbours in the neighbourhood were following the Nacional versus Cerro match in the Uruguayan Championship when they heard the first shots. According to reports collected by Telemundo, many initially believed the sounds were related to the sporting event. It was only with the second burst of gunfire that they came out onto the street and became aware of what had happened.
Officers searched the scene during Monday morning to advance the investigation. One of the primary hypotheses is that the attack was carried out from outside the dwelling.
Background of the victim and profile of the couple
The young man killed had a mechanics workshop in his home and had been investigated some time earlier for alleged irregularities with the motorcycles he repaired, some of which were stolen vehicles. Lucía, for her part, worked repairing mobile phones and was described as well-liked by the neighbours in the area, according to accounts gathered by Telemundo.
The couple had lived in that neighbourhood for several years, although at the time of the crime they were in the process of separating. Several neighbours reported that they could not sleep through the night, as they were not accustomed to this type of incident in the area.
The Public Prosecutor's Office of the City of the Coast is investigating the case.
Context: another crime involving a baby shocked the country weeks earlier
The double murder occurs weeks after another violent incident shook Uruguay. A man driving a red car in the Colón neighbourhood of Montevideo with his one-year-old son was attacked with at least seven shots from another vehicle. The adult survived, but the baby died shortly after being admitted to a nearby medical centre. That crime is linked to a clash between criminal gangs.
In relation to that case, police raided a house in the Conciliación neighbourhood, also on the outskirts of Montevideo, on Monday and arrested a 46-year-old man with no criminal record, according to Teledoce. The detainee allegedly played a key role in the logistics of the attack: he rented the vehicle used by the shooters and maintained contact with the car rental company when the vehicle was seized by police and could not be returned. He also asked the owner of the company not to report the missing car. Authorities continue to search for those who carried out the actual shooting.
Source: Google News UY — Crime