Cobá, Q.R. — Authorities in Tulum have confirmed the death of one person during an exchange of gunfire between criminals and police. On Monday night, police in the municipality of Tulum shot an alleged robber while returning gunfire during a search.
The incident escalated after two people were reported for robbing a Cobá businessman of cash and then his truck. The pair are reported to have made off with 16,000 pesos in cash and the man’s pickup which they stole from his home.
Police were alerted to the robbery, locating the stolen pickup and ensuing in a chase that ended with one of the robbers being shot during a shootout on a dirt road in the community of Francisco Uh May.
The second armed robber, a 31 year old woman, was arrested from the scene.
According to Tulum police (Secretaría de Seguridad Pública y Protección Ciudadana de Tulum), both suspects exited the vehicle armed and opened fire on the officers during the stop.
During the exchange of gunfire, police confirmed one man was “neutralized” and died at the scene and a second person, a woman, was taken into custody. Police have identified her as 31 year old Noemi “N”.
In an official statement, the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública y Protección Ciudadana de Tulum reported “regarding the report of gunfire in the town of Francisco Uh May, the Tulum Secretariat of Public Security and Citizen Protection reports the following:
“The incident stems from a citizen report concerning an alleged violent robbery at a private residence during which the perpetrators reportedly stole various valuables, cash, and a vehicle.
“Upon receiving the report, officers initiated a search and location operation, successfully identifying a vehicle matching the description provided. When officers attempted to conduct a preventive inspection, the occupants ignored the authorities’ instructions and fled, leading to a pursuit.
“During the pursuit, the suspects opened fire on the security personnel, endangering both the officers and the public. Subsequently, once the vehicle was intercepted, two individuals, believed to be armed, exited the vehicle and again fired their weapons at the police officers.
“Faced with this direct aggression, and in accordance with established operational protocols and the legitimate use of force, the officers returned fire.
“One of the aggressors was “neutralized”. One female, identified as Noemi “N,” 31 years of age, was taken into custody and two firearms were seized.”
