Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — A man accused of extorting a Playa del Carmen clothing store owner has been officially charged. On Tuesday, Alfredo “N” was charged with aggravated extortion for threatening a business owner in exchange for protection.
According to the State Attorney General (FGE), in August, Alfredo “N” showed up at the store on Fifth Avenue and demanded 15,000 a month in protection payments. If she failed to pay, he would return to “shoot and kill whoever was there.”
The woman filed a legal complaint with local authorities who arrested Alfredo “N” on an outstanding warrant. He was picked up by police while walking on Zapate Street in the Misión Villamar neighborhood of Playa del Carmen.
He has since been charged. In a statement, the FGE explained the events that led to his arrest.
“The events for which this Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the accused occurred on August 23 of this year, when he appeared at the clothing store owned by the victim located on 5th Avenue between 4th and 6th North Streets in the Centro neighborhood, identifying himself as a member of a criminal organization.
“He went to demand payment of 15,000 pesos per month for “protection money”, warning her that if she did not comply, they would go to the store to shoot and kill whoever was there.
“Following a report of the events, this autonomous body, through the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Kidnapping and Extortion Crimes, requested and obtained from a judge, the arrest warrant for Alfredo “N”.
“His arrest was fulfilled by Investigation Police who captured him on Zapote Street between Ceiba and Caoba in the Misión Villamar subdivision.
“In a hearing for the formalization of the arrest warrant, after the prosecution presented the charges, the judicial authority issued the order to formally charge Alfredo “N”, and also imposed the precautionary measure of preventive detention for the period in which the judicial process against him is carried out.”
