A justice of the peace was gunned down near a community outside Tixtla, a city in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, over the weekend, state prosecutors said.

Juan Octavio Morales's bullet-riddled body was found on Sunday morning, Guerrero Attorney General's Office spokesmen told EFE.

Morales's body was discovered near the community of El Troncon, located about 30 kilometers (some 19 miles) from Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero.

Investigators have not determined the motive for the official's killing, the AG's office said.
The 52-year-old Morales's body was taken to the coroner's office in Chilpancingo, where relatives claimed his remains.

The Los Rojos and Los Ardillos drug cartels are waging a turf war in the area where Morales was killed, with officials blaming the gangs for dozens of murders.

Three state police officers were gunned down while driving through downtown Tixtla last Tuesday.
The officers, one of whom was the commander of the state police unit in Tixtla, were ambushed by gunmen, Guerrero Attorney General Xavier Olea said.

Investigators suspect that the Ardillos gang staged the attack, Olea said.