San Diego Teens Among Three Reportedly Killed Execution-Style In Tijuana
TIJUANA, MEXICO (CBSLA) – Two teens from Southern California who traveled to Mexico for a barbecue were reportedly shot execution-style at a Tijuana apartment building Sunday.
The Los Angeles Times reports the victims are 17-year-old Christopher Alexis Gomez, a football player in his senior year at O'Farrell Charter High School; Juan Suarez-Ojeda, who graduated from Ingenuity Charter School earlier this year; and an 18-year-old Tijuana man whose name was not available.
The trio made it to the barbecue in Ensenada but never made it back to the U.S. Friday night as expected, according to The Times.
The Tijuana teen reportedly called his mother early Saturday – the last time anyone heard from the teens – and told her they were safe but had lost their cellphones.
Around 5 a.m. Sunday, several shots rang out in the Lomas Verdes area, according to a Mexican media outlet. Punto Norte reports investigators believe the teens were removed from an apartment at gunpoint and forced to kneel before they were shot in the head.
The trio was reportedly tortured before they were shot.
Family members contacted Baja California authorities and searched for the teens over the weekend. On Sunday night, Tijuana police notified the families about the three bodies found outside the Lomas Verdes apartment.
There is no word on any suspects, and a motive is not clear at this time.
Faculty at O'Farrell set up a GoFundMe for Gomez and Suarez-Ojeda's families. A separate fundraiser has also been established for Gomez's family.