MEXICO CITY (AP) - Relatives, friends, and neighbors of a 16-year-old Mexican-American boy killed by local police in southern Mexico have demanded justice in the case.
Alexander Martinez Gomez, who has spent his short life on either side of the US-Mexico border, was shot in the head by a police officer Tuesday night, and his investigation is still ongoing. Born in North Carolina, he and his mother live in the city of Accent n de Perez Figueroa in the state of South Oaxaca.
"We came in a caravan from the city with the cooperation of all the people who asked us to leave," said Teodoro Martinez, the boy's father. "We're not giving them much time to get to the bottom of this."
The father left North Carolina to attend the son's funeral, but he did not have a visa and did not return, he was worried.
Relatives met with Oaxaca State Public Safety Secretary Raul Ernesto Salcedo. The state government has assured that the murder will not take place without cause.
Accadian de Perez Figueroa said in a statement to the city government that a police officer had fired, but was not in "bad faith." The officer is in custody.
The teenager and another teenager who were shot dead were among a group of about nine teenagers.
A local police officer, who identifies himself as a "commander", reached by phone Thursday, saying the teenagers on a motorcycle failed to stop at the outpost.
Oaxaca State Prosecutor Reuben Vasconcelos said Thursday that "police spoke of it as an accident ... but we don't believe it." He said he hopes the custodial officer will be brought before a judge on murder charges.
Vasconcelos said investigators are also investigating whether police damaged the shooting scene.
Other officers in the department are already under investigation for alleged use of force and unlawful killings in connection with the May firing. After that incident, more state and federal troops were sent to secure the area.
The city is in an area of high crime and high levels of organized crime. In a statement on Thursday, the Oaxaca State Security Agency said state police officers had been sent to town and the army was sending troops to conduct checkpoints and ensure public safety.
There are various crime groups in the area near the Oaxaca border with the state of Veracruz, including the Jalisco New Generation cartel. Operations in the area of the National Guard, Army, and State Security Forces.
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