Salamanca, Guanajuato — The governor of Guanajuato has reported the arrested of two subjects who are believed the alleged perpetrators and masterminds behind the explosive birthday attack that left two restaurant owners dead.
In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo reported the arrest of the two subjects “a little while ago” after 72 hours of investigations by the State Attorney General’s Office.
Several levels of police, including the National Guard and Mexican Army, participated in the takedown of the pair who have been identified as Georgina N and Eduardo N who, police say, knew the now-deceased restaurant manager Mario Alberto Hernández.
In a press conference, the Attorney General of the State, prosecutor Carlos Zamarripa reported that Mario, one of the two killed in the exploding birthday gift, was known to them. “They had carried out commercial negotiations that ended on bad terms,” said Zamarripa, who added that a multi-million peso debt between the individuals is believed to be the reason behind the bombing.
The prosecutor specified that between them “there was a company”, although he could not determine if there was documentation that formalized it, “but there was a relationship of commercial company,” adding that money was exchanged “to carry out the start of the business, of this restaurant.”
According to the progress of the investigations, the two detainees left the municipality of Cortazar on Sunday for Salamanca, aboard a taxi. Once they arrived, they hired a motorcycle delivery service to deliver the explosive, posing as a gift .
Once delivered, it was determined that the bomb, which they made themselves the same day, was activated remotely, causing the two deaths and injuring five other people, including the delivery man.
On September 19, a man and woman arrived at the Barra 1604 restaurant in the city of Salamanca around 7:00 p.m. to deliver a birthday gift. As instructed, they delivered the birthday present to one of the manager’s outside the establishment.
Once opened, the box exploded, killing two restaurant managers and injuring the pair who delivered the box. Restaurant manager, Mario Alberto Hernández and his business partner, Mauricio Salvador Romero Morales, were both killed in the attack. Police have since said they believe the bomb was targeted toward Mario Alberto Hernández.
On Monday in a media interview, Diego Sinhue Rodríguez called the bombing “an unprecedented terrorist attack in the state, which undoubtedly raises the level of violence that we have experienced,” he said.
During the Thursday press conference, Carlos Zamarripa said that the two detainees will be charged with qualified homicide, not terrorism. Zamarripa has ruled out a terrorism charge as it is a directly targeted attack, however, they will also be charged with attempted murder for the five wounded caused by the explosion.
