Another Hidalgo Police Chief is Assassinated

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Blanca Lidia Ortega Navarette was shot and killed near her home. She had assumed command of the police after the October 19 killing of her predecessor, Lucio Juárez Lara, who had been in office for only two days before being killed.

Unknown individuals shot and killed the Public Security coordinator of Hidalgo, Blanca Lidia Ortega when she was about to get into her car outside her house. The body of the police chief, with several bullet wounds, was left lying next to her 2008 model Mazda 3 car around 1:45PM on Monday in the Lázaro Cárdenas neighborhood, located 40 kilometers north of the capital.

At the crime scene, there were 20 long gun casings and two pistol casings. There are no arrests yet.

These events occurred a day after, in the municipality of Linares, about 100 kilometers south of Monterrey, Leonel Alonso Cruz, Director of the Police of the southern town of Iturbide, was attacked by armed men who shot him at least 12 times while he traveled with his wife. At least three men attacked the police chief and his wife and then fled. He is in serious condition in a hospital in Monterrey, where he was taken by helicopter, while his wife is injured, but not seriously.

Just last October 19, the director of Public Security for Hidalgo, Lucio Juárez Lara, 41, was murdered in that same municipality only two days after taking office. Now, Lara's successor has been killed.

After the crime, the Civil Force state police took possession of the municipal corporation.

Sources La Silla Rota, Mexiquense