Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua: El Neto Killed In Intense Confrontation

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

The shooting took place in the streets of the Los Aztecas neighborhood; El Neto had escaped from Cereso 3 since January 1st.

Ernesto Piñón De La Cruz aka El Neto, who escaped from prison last Sunday, was reportedly shot dead early this morning in a confrontation with police officers in Ciudad Juárez.

It was at around 1:00 a.m. in the streets of Los Aztecas neighborhood, where agents on surveillance patrol intercepted the convoy where the criminal leader of the Los Mexicles gang was traveling and an intense shootout ensued.

In the exchange of gunfire, it was reported that El Neto was killed along with other people who were presumably also among the inmates of Cereso No. 3 who escaped last Sunday. According to reports, El Neto was on board a BMW car and the confrontation took place on Toltecas and Tzetzales streets in Los Aztecas neighborhood.

Authorities have not provided official information but are expected to provide the identities of those killed in the shooting shortly.

The State Police also reportedly had reports of store burnings and car thefts, such as in a parking lot of the S-mart supermarket in Colonia Gómez Morín, where a man was robbed of his car and used it to destroy the entrance of the establishment, doused with gasoline and set on fire, but the guards put it out and notified the State Police on the scene.

Following the events that took place in the prison last Sunday when an armed criminal cell broke in and killed 10 guards, a riot broke out and seven prisoners died and 30 inmates escaped, among them Ernesto Alfredo Piñon, sentenced for 24 kidnappings which resulted in a sentence of more than 200 years.

What was the operation where El Neto was killed?

According to information from the State Attorney General's Office, during the early hours of Thursday morning there was a confrontation in one of the houses in the Aztecas neighborhood, where El Neto was located; however, he fled the place in an armored BMW vehicle until he crashed into a gas station and there he confronted the authorities with bullets.

El Neto was seriously wounded and died later while he was being transported to the Fiscalía Zona Norte facilities.

It should be noted that the armored vehicle was seized at the scene, as well as eight firearms and five tactical vests.

El Heraldo de Chihuahua  Fantasma