Suspect Arrested in Playa del Carmen Murder

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — A man from Chihuahua has been arrested in connection with the murder of a man in Playa del Carmen’s Punta Estrella neighborhood, state prosecutors said Monday.

State Prosecutor Raciel López Salazar said Carlos Alfonso, 37, was taken into custody and found in possession of drugs and three cellphones.

Prosecutors allege that Alfonso and four other men drove into Punta Estrella in a truck and confronted Juan Luis, known as “Juaneque,” over a debt of 100,000 pesos. Alfonso allegedly shot Juaneque as the victim tried to break free, after which the group fled.

The suspect is said to have learned that Juaneque planned to kill him to take over his business.

Arrest in Chiapas

López Salazar also announced the arrest of Jesús Alberto, alias “Coby,” a native of Tabasco, in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, for a homicide in Cancún.

Authorities say Coby and others kidnapped a woman identified as Adelina and took her to a house in the Prado Norte neighborhood, where she was tortured for three days to extract information about criminal activities. Coby, along with two other people, allegedly killed her and threw her body, bound with a chain and a weight, into Cancún’s Laguna Manatí.

Failed Hitmen Arrested in Tulum

Two young men were also detained in Tulum after allegedly trying to kill a rival drug dealer but failing because they did not know how to operate the firearm they carried.

The suspects, Hilario, 19, of Quintana Roo, and Alán Jossué, 23, of Chiapas, are accused of selling drugs in Tulum’s downtown area. Hilario was reportedly hired through social media to kill a rival for 10,000 pesos. The two set out on a motorcycle, but on the way, Hilario dropped the gun’s magazine because he was unfamiliar with the weapon, and they were unable to complete the killing. Both were arrested in possession of the gun.