Mexico: American and 2 Australians Killed by Robbers Trying To Steal Their Tires
Australians Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were shot dead by robbers in Mexico. Local police think the heinous killings happened as the thieves tried to jack their vehicle to steal its tires.
The bodies of the three surfers were recovered from what had been described as a well in the area last Friday. The Baja California Forensic Medical Service revealed that all three died from a gunshot to the head.
Three men are still in custody over their disappearance. One of them had already been charged with "forced disappearance" while the other two are still detained, according to ABC News (Australia).
The three tourists were surfing in the well-known surf spot of Ensenada, Baja California in Mexico's northwest. Their deaths led to members of the surfing community there, both foreign and local, taking to the streets to demand improved security in the area.
Around 500 people were marching around Ensenada were marching in protest while chanting in Spanish, "We want security." Some of the protesters were holding surfboards with messages including "Australia, we are with you" and "They only wanted to surf, and they executed them."
"We are here in solidarity with our friends from Australia and the United States," said local surfer Héctor Estrada. "We are a big community of surfers all over the world and we need security, we need the beaches to be safe [for] camping around, surfing, or just playing with your family, friends."
Mexico Authorities Believe Australians and American Were Killed in 'Robbery Gone Wrong'
Baja California authorities are calling the incident a "robbery gone wrong" as the robbers just wanted to steal the truck the three were riding on to steal their tires. The attack reportedly happened while the three victims were camping on a stretch of beach south of Ensenada.
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"The attackers drove by in their vehicle," Baja California chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez told the media in a press conference. "They approached, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and taking the tires and other parts to put them on the older-model pickup they were driving."
Somehow, the robbery attempt did not go as planned, with the robbers burning the tourists' tents after killing them. They then dumped their bodies into a well before covering it up with boards.
American and Australian Surfers Killed in Mexico May Have Resisted
As to why the robbery attempt went wrong, Andrade Ramírez noted that the victims may have resisted and this led the robbers to resort to violence.
"When they (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted," she told reporters. "And these people, the assailants, took out a gun and first they killed the one who was putting up resistance against the vehicle theft, and then others came along and joined the fight to defend their property and their companion who had been attacked, and they killed them too."
She added that the killers might have been looking for trucks. "They may have been looking for trucks in this area," she said. The area has been described as "a site that is extremely hard to get to." The stretch of beach where they were killed is known to be a secluded area.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin