Bar blames rising crime, city for security guard’s murder

Owners of El Relajo bar, located on Cuauhtémoc Avenue, where a security guard was shot to death last weekend, blamed the authorities and rising crime for the murder of the employee.

In a letter released to the general public, the owners of the bar said that, due to the insecurity that has plagued the city for months, the management has decided to expose the situation that, they say, has affected them in a very direct way.

According to the bar owners, an incident of this magnitude has never happened in five decades.

However, in previous years, there have been murders and fights in the vicinity.

“It is evident that we are in times of great insecurity,” they said, explaining that various security measures have been implemented, such as the placement of metal detector arches to prevent the introduction of weapons to the site.

Likewise, they have requested support from the police department in order to increase patrolling to give more peace of mind to visitors.

“What we do not have is scope, and we cannot avoid the insecurity outside the establishment,” the bar said.

Last weekend, a young man shot and killed a security guard identified as Edgar Fernando López García, after a fight with guards at the site. The gunman, who minutes earlier had been denied entry due to lack proper ID, later returned with a weapon and opened fire.

“It is sad to think that this situation could and can happen to anyone who is in charge of complying with the rules required by law,” the bar said in the statement. “There has never been a similar situation.”

In August 2019, two young men disappeared after leaving the bar. The bodies have not been found, but authorities have arrested at least one person related to the incident.

Mexicali Mayor Lupita Mora said this week the bar would be suspended and, possibly, the license would be canceled because of the homicide.

“It is extremely important not to lose focus on what really prioritizes attention — looking for the culprit and his accomplices, so that this murder does not go unpunished,” the bar said. “It would be an important achievement to move forward in solving the underlying problem.

The bar has been closed as a sign of mourning for the death of the employee.