Death toll rises to 17 in attacks on cattle ranchers in southern
Mexico
By NATALIA PARRA,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-05 17:06:24
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) - A prominent cattle rancher hid Monday from
gunmen who killed two of his sons and kidnapped his daughter in
weekend attacks that left 17 people dead in southern Mexico, relatives
and authorities said.
Men with assault rifles forced victims into a line and sprayed them
with bullets Sunday at Rogaciano Alba's ranch in Petatlan, a town in
southern Guerrero state, investigators said. Five people were killed
and five others died at a hospital, State Attorney General Eduardo
Murueta said Monday.
Alba, a former town mayor and president of Guerrero's cattle ranching
union, was not at the ranch during the attack. Relatives said he has
since gone into hiding.
"They were coming for my cousin Rogaciano, and since they didn't find
him, they took it out on his sons and workers," said one of the
rancher's cousins, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she
feared for her life. "They hit him where it hurts the most."
Alba's sons Alejandro and Rusbel were among those killed, attorney
general Murueta said. Gunmen also kidnapped his 18-year-old daughter,
Ana Karen, whose whereabouts were unknown.
Six other ranchers were killed and five wounded on Saturday as they
returned to their hotel from a union meeting led by Alba in the city
of Iguala. Six were killed at the scene and a seventh died at a
hospital, Murueta said.
Police have not made any arrests or determined a motive for the
attacks.
Alba was investigated in 2002 for allegedly ordering the killing of
Digna Ochoa, a human rights attorney who represented Zapatista
guerrilla sympathizers and anti-logging activists in Guerrero.
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