Burned Truck with Two Bodies Reported on Monday, Police Respond on Friday in Celaya, Guanajuato

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

A burned out truck with two incinerated bodies was found by police in Celaya, Guanajuato. The truck and smoke were reported to police on Monday by locals, but police did not respond until Friday.

Two bodies were found inside an incinerated Nissan pickup truck on a background in El Parral, Celaya, Guanajuato. Police and National Guard responded to the scene Friday, but according to Periodico Correo, some witnesses said the burned vehicle was there since Monday evening. They called 911, reporting the smoke and four loud bangs when the tires popped, but police never arrived.

This is possible, given that all photos of the event show no signs of smoke, which may suggest that the fire has burned out days before. However, a counter point to this may be the visible water on the ground resulting from rain in the region on Friday.

The bodies were not identified, and have been taken to Guanajuato City for forensic examination.

Zona Franca reported that this is the third burned vehicle found in the region this week. All three have been found with two corpses inside.

The delayed police response as reported by Periodico Correo points to a root cause of lack of trust in local police forces by the local population. On the 2023 ENVIPE survey, which measures crime and victimization rates, the people of Guanajuato rated Municipal police forces with extreme distrust, with just 54% answering that they had confidence in them.

Trust in security and government institutions. Chart by Periodico Correo with ENVIPE data.

Sources: Periodico Correo, El Sol del Bajio, Zona Franca, Periodico Correo w/ ENVIPE