Homicide statistics: 73 violent deaths over the weekend across Venezuela

www.vheadline.com Posted: Monday, March 17, 2003 By: David Coleman

CICPC detectives say 73 violent deaths have taken place over the weekend, up four on the preceding weekend, with 25 of them as the result of "settling of accounts" between rival crime gangs.   Caracas (Libertador) led the death toll with 17 victims, followed by western Zulia State with 9 dead.  Central Carabobo State reduced its death statistics to just three persons murdered.

Nationwide, 15 of the deaths were as the result of shoot-outs with law enforcement officers while 11 victims were killed resisting street muggings.

Josefina Guzman was fatally injured as the result of a violent argument between her husband, Larry Martinez and a neighbor in the La Lucha slum in Boleita Norte in Caracas.  "After the shooting I tried to carry her to the hospital but she died on the way there," Martinez told reporters.

24-year-old National Guard (GN) soldier Oscar Rafael Marin Morena was killed on Calle Marin de San Agustin del Sur, in southeast Caracas as the result of several bullet wounds.  Military investigators are probing the death.

Truck hijackings were also on the increase this weekend .  32-year-old Juan Jose Tivado Baez was relieved of his fully-laden Central Azucarera El Palmar truck on the El Valle-Coche highway below the Tazon tollbooths after he was intercepted by two gunmen.  Police are looking for a white-painted Mack truck, registration 91F AAH valued at 50 million bolivares with a 3-tonne load of sugar valued at 26 million bolivares.

A truck laden with 30 tonnes of spaghetti valued at 80 million bolivares was also hijacked near Carora in central Venezuela.  54-year-old Edgar Marrero had left his depot on Avenida Los Leones in Barquisimeto (Lara), when he was intercepted by several armed men.  Police are looking for a white-painted 1997 registered Iveco truck, registration O4H-IAA valued at 60 million bolivares and its 30 million bolivares load belonging to the MDS company.

John Peter Perez (22) lost his life early on Saturday morning in the El Manguito sector of Antimano in Caracas.  His mother, Nora Josefina Perez, says her son was shot in the chest in an incident involving officers from the PoliCaracas municipal police.  "He resisted arrest and the police shot him .. we had gone out of the house to help John but we weren't in time ... when we finally caught up with him, the police had taken him to the Perez Carreno hospital but he was already dead."