Local man killed in car jacking

THE County Louth man shot dead in Mexico when he stopped to ask for directions was born in Clogherhead, it has been revealed.

Noel Maguire (29) tragically lost his life after he was shot a number of times while defending his girlfriend from two armed men who were trying to carjack the couple.

The pair had stopped at a petrol station in the town of Lazaro Cardenas last Tuesday to ask directions to a nearby beach.

Noel was born in Clogherhead where he lived for a number of years.

His mother, Angela O’Halloran, was from Rathkenny. However both she and Noel’s father are now deceased and the youngster moved to England at the age of four to live with an aunt.

His uncle told LMFM’s Michael Reade show on Friday that Noel was a hard worker who had been living in America for a number of years and was looking forward to a ‘ trip of a lifetime’ in Mexico when tragedy struck.

According to witsnesses, the couple were approached by the two attackers who demanded they hadn over their rented white Ford pick-up. One of the men then tried to grab the woman’s handbag at which point Noel stepped in to try and protect her.

It is understood he was shot three times in the chest and dragged to nearby bushes where he was dumped.

The pair then fled the scene leaving Noel’s distraught girlfriend at the scene.

State subsecretary for security, Carlos Gómez Arrieta, said they believed they had identified the gang which carried out the attack.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said they were aware of Mr Maguire’s death and are providing consular assistance.