On August 29th, Ricardo Flores, a 21-year-old law student and his uncle Alberto Flores, a 43-year-old farmer, were taken into police custody for “disturbing the peace” after they were accosted by locals in San Vicente Boqueron, Mexico. But what happened next is absolutely chilling:
“An angry mob welcomed the men when they were taken to the municipal police station in Acatlan de Osorio. Police officers assured the crowd that the men had not abducted any children, but the mob was unconvinced.
The angry horde broke into the cell, dragged the men out and battered them as they were hauled outside. The group poured petrol on their bodies then set them alight as a crowd of about 150 people cheered and applauded the sick act.”1
Their death was captured on Facebook Live.
Please use caution as the video below is disturbing.
You see, this violence happened because of a rumor on WhatsApp that said:
“Please everyone be alert because a plague of child kidnappers has entered the country. It appears that these criminals are involved in organ trafficking…In the past few days, children aged four, eight and 14 have disappeared and some of these kids have been found dead with signs that their organs were removed. Their abdomens had been cut open and were empty.”2
In actuality, the pair were buying construction supplies for a water well.
Ricardo’s mother Guadalupe was alerted that he and his uncle were falsely accused and she posted a comment to the Facebook Live stream saying, “Please don’t hurt them, don’t kill them, they’re not child kidnappers.”
The state of Puebla’s attorney general has announced that their deaths are now being treated as murder. As they should be. Five people have been charged with instigating the double killing, and four others with carrying out their murders.
This is the third time in about four months that a lynch mob has burned suspected criminals to death in Puebla state.
Our hearts are breaking for this family and go out to them now. We cannot imagine.
