A California couple has been fatally shot while on a family vacation in Mexico, according to reports.
Gunmen opened fire on Rafael Cardona, 53, and Gloria Amrbiz, 50, as the pair rode in a black 2016 Ford Platinum pickup truck near an intersection in Angamacutiro in the state of Michoacán, on the night of Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Michoacán Attorney General’s Office said, per CNN, ABC News and The New York Times.
Their bullet-ridden vehicle was found by security officers who then alerted authorities, according to the outlets. Ambriz was pronounced dead at the scene while Cardona died from his injuries in the hospital on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 12.
Cardona was identified as the brother-in-law of the mayor of Angamacutiro, Hermes Pacheco, according to multiple reports. Pacheco became mayor in late October after his predecessor Maribel Juárez Blanquet was abducted earlier in the year, according to the Mexican newspaper El Universal.
Cardona and Ambriz had traveled to Mexico on Nov. 30 to spend the holidays with their family, CNN and NYT reported.
Police car.
Evgen_Prozhyrko/Getty
Pacheco told police that the couple was driving his truck at the time of the shooting, which occurred near the couple’s house in Angamacuitro, per ABC News and CNN.
The victims shared three children, one adult daughter, and two minors, who were not with their parents at the time of the shooting. The children are currently with extended family in Angamacutiro, according to ABC News.
No motive for the killings has been determined at this time.
Ballistic evidence was recovered from the scene to help with the ongoing investigation, per Fox 11 News.
The United States Embassy in Mexico said in a statement, per NYT: “We are aware of reports of the death of two U.S. citizens in Michoacán, Mexico. We are working to gather more information and stand ready to provide consular assistance if needed.”
Michoacán has been rife with gang violence since cartels settled in the state in the 1980s. The tragic incident comes as Mexico’s homicide rate remains among the highest in the world, according to data assembled by the World Bank Group.
Cardona was born in the U.S. and Ambriz became a national citizen after being born in Mexico, NYT revealed.
A mass for the couple is being held in Angamacutiro on Saturday, Dec. 14, local authorities said, per CNN.
