American woman killed in Mexico after U.S. issues travel warnings
Police in Mexico are investigating the murder of an American tourist hit by a stray bullet in Mexico City. Tatiana Mirutenko of San Francisco was leaving a restaurant with her husband and two friends Saturday morning when she was shot. Police say two men on a motorcycle were aiming for a bar bouncer who was at the same restaurant. The bouncer was hit, but survived.
Mirutenko, 27, was in Mexico celebrating her first wedding anniversary and had just told her family how safe she felt. The restaurant where Mirutenko was shot was located in an upscale neighborhood.
"We've traveled to Mexico all of our lives," Mirutenko's father, Wasyl, said. "Tania has probably been there at least 30 times."
According to the latest figures from the Mexican government, 2017 was the nation's deadliest year on record, with more than 25,000 murders. Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department issued a travel ban to five Mexican states, the same warning issued to war-torn countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia.
Popular tourist destinations Ixtapa and Acapulco are in those "do not travel" zones. The government also warns tourists to "exercise increased caution" when visiting Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Mexico City.
Mirutenko's funeral will be held Saturday in Chicago, where she grew up.
Police in Mexico say they are reviewing surveillance video as they search for the gunmen.