19 Patients Slaughtered in Mexican Rehab Facility

Nineteen people murdered by gunfire; it is a record of sorts, but not the kind a nation wants to hold.

Patients in a Chihuahua rehabilitation facility, above and below, who were methodically and systematically murdered Sunday by gunmen.

(CHIHUAHUA / SALEM) - It took a large group of armed gunmen about ten minutes to shoot 19 hospital patients to death Sunday in Chihuahua. The dead ranged in age from 16 to 63.

Mexico's Coordinated Operation Chihuahua sent out a press release over the weekend, stating that representatives of three levels of government met in special session to mark the tragic events that occurred the night of 10 June, when people in the rehabilitation center were murdered.

The El Paso Times reports witness accounts of at least 25 men armed with AR-15 and AK-47 rifles walking into the two-story building housing the rehab program, and methodically opened fired.

Carlos Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Chihuahua attorney general's office, said 19 men were killed, two suffered injuries, six others were not injured.

"This is an unprecedented event in the state capital. This is the first time an attack of this nature has happened in Chihuahua City," Gonzalez said.

Police in Chihuahua are investigating the crime scene and attempting to trace the whereabouts of those responsible from the ballistics evidence recovered at the crime scene and statements of witnesses, as well as written messages left by the murderers.

Members of the Coordinated Operation Chihuahua say they are committed to getting to the bottom of the facts in this case as quickly as possible, as they have with multiple homicides that occurred in a rehabilitation center in Ciudad Juarez last year.

List of the victims who were killed Sunday:

1. HÉCTOR ALEJANDRO MIRAMONTE, APODADO, “PIN PON”, 23
2. SERGIO IGUIARTE GASÓN, “EL SHEKO”, 47
3. LUIS ARMANDO RODRÍGUEZ BELTRÁN Y/O GONZALES BELTRÁN, “EL SAGU”, 39
4. JESÚS MARTÍN CORRALES ESTRELLAS, “EL CHUY”, 45
5. ENRIQUE CASTILLO DELGADO, “EL CASTILLO”, 32
6. JOSÉ MONSERRAT TRUJILLO MÁRQUEZ, “EL MONSERRAT”, 21
7. GABRIEL OMAR PÉREZ GUERRA, “EL GABY”, 24
8. JAIME DANIEL HOLGUÍN AGUIRRE, “EL SOBAS”, 24 APROX.
9. DELIO MORENO DERMA, “EL ANÁHUAC”, 63
10. LUIS CARLOS MALDONADO LUNA, “EL BORREGUITA”, 36
11. EDGAR MANUEL PADILLA GÓMEZ, 16
12. JOSÉ LUIS ZAMARRÓN BARRAZA Y/O BARRAZA ZAMARRÓN, “EL CABAL”, 40
13. JOSÉ GUADALUPE “EL BARÓN”, age not determined
14. VALENTÍN LÓPEZ GRAJEDA, “EL GATO”, 34
15. LUIS FERNANDO FLORES GARCÍA, “FERNANDO”, 49
16. EDGAR RUBÉN DOMÍNGUEZ BOLAÑOS, 34
17. MARCO ANTONIO HERNÁNDEZ TERRAZA, “EL TOÑO”, 23
18. JESÚS MANUEL PADILLA GÓMEZ, “EL SPIT”, 45
19. MERCEDES ARÉVALO LINARES, “MERCEDES”, 50

The government agencies collaborating in this effort, say during the weekend special session, it was agreed to undertake a series of actions to reinforce the strategy to combat crime, based on the work of intelligence and police operatives in this capital city.

Sources:

• Coordinated Operation “Chihuahua” - Secretaria de Defense Nacional, Mexico
• 19 die in attack at rehabilitation center - El Paso Times
• "Se compromete el OCCh a dar con los asesinos" El Diario Chihuahua

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com