Mexican authorities arrested two men in connection with the murder of a popular musician in Mexico and three members of his family, including their three-year-old daughter and the musician’s pregnant wife. The apparent motive for the mass killing was a debt or an attempt to steal bitcoin from the musician.
The killing took place late Tuesday night in Atizapan, Mexico State, where two family friends arrived at the home of Jonathan Melendez, the keyboard player for the popular musical group Camilo Septimo. The Mexico State Attorney General’s Office revealed in a prepared statement that it confirmed the arrest of two men in connection with the mass killing.
Details of the murder remain unclear; however, preliminary information points to the two men arguing with the family over money before pulling out handguns, tying them up, and then shooting the musician, his pregnant wife, their daughter, the nanny, and even their dog.
The victims included Melendez, his wife Ana Paula, their 21-year-old nanny, and the couple’s three-year-old daughter.
Local journalists point to various separate versions, including one where one of the gunmen, Diego “N”, was trying to collect a debt from the musician. A second version points to the gunmen trying to scam the musician, and a third version says the gunmen were trying to steal a large quantity of crypto from the musician.
The high-profile murder comes at a time when Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum continues to claim that crime is down under her policies. The claims have been largely disputed by political opponents and news outlets that highlight the growing number of forced disappearance victims, as well as constant cartel violence in the country.
When asked about the musician’s murder, Sheinbaum claimed that it was a sad case and that the murder was due to a disagreement between families. She claimed that authorities were providing support to the families.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.