Bizarre twist in Torreón murders

The Justice Ministry identified the alleged perpetrators of the massacre of 17 persons in Torreón on July 18: convicts in the federal penitentiary in Gómez Palacio, Durango.  According to PGR spokesman Ricardo Nájera, the convicts were allowed to leave the prison at night, with the complicity of the prison warden and other prison officials, and used prison vehicles and weapons to carry out their crimes. According to Nájera, Warden Margarita Rojas, “allowed [the convicts] to leave the prison and to use the guards’ weapons in order to carry out these executions using official vehicles for transport … as part of a settling of scores with rival gang members. … Sadly, during the course of these killings, the criminals also cowardly assassinated innocent civilians, before returning to their cells.” The warden and three other prison officials have been ordered held for 20 days as part of the investigation. In addition to the July 18 killings at the Quinta Italia Inn, which left 17 dead and 18 wounded, the convicts are accused of carrying out a massacre at a bar named Ferrie in Torreón on January 31st that left 10 dead and 11 wounded, and a third killing at another bar, Juana’s, that left 8 dead and 15 wounded in May. (Universal 7/25, Reforma 7/25)