Five smoke shops were attacked by armed men, leaving four shops burned, one man dead, and two employees injured across Tijuana, Baja California on Monday night. The events occurred almost simultaneously, a coordinated attempt by organized crime to influence local businesses.
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| Image: Zeta Tijuana |
Three of the five businesses are confirmed to belong to the "Sunset Smoke Shop" brand, a chain that sells vape pens, bongs, and other marijuana paraphernalia. The first of the coordinated attacks occurred around 9:00 PM in colonia Independencia of central Tijuana, according to local reports. Shortly after, police were called to two more scenes of arson, in colonia Ampliaci贸n Guaycua and 3ra Etapa of R铆o Tijuana.
At the Sunset Smoke Shop in 3ra Etapa, witnesses reported that the attackers were two young men wearing masks. They entered the shop carrying a gallon of gasoline and began yelling at the workers, before shooting the employees and leaving the container of gasoline. The business was not burned.
Local Municipal Police responded to the reports, and captured three suspects after a car chase. The suspects initially fled in a stolen Chevy Trail Blazer, before switching to a Ford Escape. They lost control, crashed, and were arrested. Zeta Tijuana noted that the Escape's interior smelled of gasoline and contained other evidence relevant to the burnings.
Local witnesses also claim suspects fled in a 2010 Honda Accord, either black or white. This vehicle and suspects were not found by police.
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| Products on Sunset Smoke Shop's website. |
It is so far unclear which criminal group was behind these attacks, or the reason for them. Often, businesses are targeted by criminals to pressure them to pay extortion rents. Other times, criminals want to force the business to sell their product, or allow their drug dealers on site. Businesses in the legal gray area, such as nightclubs and smoke shops, can find themselves especially in the view of organized crime.
Pinches pendejos im glad they crashed
ReplyDeleteAhh they were caught Red handed as the suspects and they still end up covering their face eyes. Seems the criminals get treated better than the victims.
ReplyDeleteSome of these half-assed border wannabees who front some of the smoke shop scene en tijuas think they don't gotta pay the piper..
ReplyDeleteLocal looky-loos report suspects fled in vehicle that was either black or white, narrowing down the scope of the search, for sure, but perhaps a less obtuse police detective might have helped to further the investigation by cajoling the wishy-washy looky-loos into deciding on a color and sticking to it..
Zona Rio is where all the socially acceptable puchadores go for lunch..
Usta be called "cart贸nlandia", full-on indigent slums featuring housing constructed of cardboard boxes..
Situated in the flood plain, winters with heavy rain would often overflow the banks of the river and wash everybody's shacks away..
Canalizaci贸n of Rio Tijuana 50 years ago into a concrete causeway feeding to the sloughs and ocean provided a bonanza of reclaimed flat land, a rare commodity in hilly tj..
As you might imagine, the powers that be hustled the luckless residents away to fend for themselves..
The greedhead developers, as always in bed with PRI, had themselves a field day..
馃
Those pork and powers that be opened the floodgates on the Rodriquez dame and stole there goats and lives about 37 got washed away!! As for catching the suspects. Iushould know that area and many parts of TJ have had cameras for a long time!!馃摳馃帴馃帴馃摲
DeleteOne looks like he got roughed up or maybe smeared his lipsticks!!馃樄
ReplyDeleteInstead of burning their shops why not ask for a reasonable tax and get paid from it. Im not for extortion on legal busines but work it out so everybody makes money.
ReplyDeleteTrust me that those shops are owned by a cartel. It was just another cartel attempting to burn up the competition.
DeleteReally in a Honda either Blk or white? That was a witness being funny. In a blk or white 2 door or 4 door.
DeleteProbably not even about plaza
ReplyDeleteBut about different crews setting up businesses to launder, stash, wire money, or sell for their operativos
Seems like Tijuana is getting Railroaded on many fronts.
ReplyDeleteThe Morges are overloaded with bodies , that the neighbors are complaining of the stench smell of death.
ALMO outlawed vapes and smokes .
Los Tucanes de Tijuana are not allowed to play music.
Tortillas are taxed by Cartel.
Tijuana seems to be cleaning up they are killing all the thief’s . They just killed a thief out in La Jolla he was a signed informant with DEA Chato every dog has it’s day
ReplyDelete馃憦 @4:44 glad you know what’s going on my boy
DeleteKado next 馃彎️
DeleteEl que a hierra mata a hierro muere.
DeleteAre the criminales doing the extortion rackets of local business owners in TJ?
ReplyDeleteno man, this is Sirius.. there is still merging with their cubs..
DeleteWho are the people behind these shops and how are they connected with Chato being whacked?
ReplyDelete