Jalisco Merchant Has Been Missing for 14 Days; He Was Reportedly 'Taken' by State Police Officers

 "MX" for Borderland Beat

Oscar India Acevedo, a 22-year-old merchant from Jalisco, is still missing. His family believes the Jalisco State Police could be involved

Fourteen days ago, alleged members of Jalisco State Police took Oscar Inda Acevedo when he was at his home. He has not been seen again. Oscar's father filed a complaint with the state agency, but his entire family has not seen any progress in the investigation and they are desperate for answers.

The kidnapping occurred on January 14, at around 9:40 p.m., when Oscar, a 22-year-old merchant from Jalisco, was "taken into custody" by armed individuals wearing ski-masks. They were reportedly driving vehicles from the Jalisco State Police. They took him from his home in Zapopan, Jalisco, in front of his wife Alejandra and two children.

Alejandra told her father-in-law that the policemen arrived with two of Oscar's friends, Saúl Hernández Castro and Alejandro Castro Lepe. They were reportedly under arrest too. Although Oscar tried to close his house's door, the assailants were able to break in and take him. Oscar was then forced into one of the two police vehicles and was not seen again.

After the fact, Alejandra contacted her father-in-law to help him call 911 to report the incident, but authorities never responded to the emergency number. Oscar's father went to the Prosecutor's Office to ask for help, but they told him that there was nothing they could do. They recommended that he continue calling 911. He did so for most of the night, but when they finally answered they only gave him a case number.

In the morning of January 15, he was able to present the complaint to the public prosecutor's office. He asked investigators to look at the phone calls he made that day and to analyze the security camera footage of the neighborhood to see if they could identify the police vehicles. However, investigators said they could not do that and that they needed to follow the established protocol.

"There are around 10 cameras on both sides of the street. I'm waiting for the Attorney General's Office to prove that the vehicles used in this kidnapping were not theirs," Oscar's father told reporters.

The slowness of the case was eye-opening for him.

 

"If this is the path that all people take to find their disappeared relatives, we are doing poorly."

In an act of desperation, Oscar's father continued calling the Prosecutor's Office to ask if investigators had any updates. He then followed up with an in-person visit later that evening.

When he showed up, one of the lead investigators scolded him in front of his staff.

"If you already phone called us in the morning, why did you come here again?"

It's been over two weeks since Oscar was seen and authorities have not issued a statement.

Source: Proceso; Pagina 24 Jalisco