After 10 years, suspected killer of Paola Buenrostro arrested, opening a new chapter in the case

Nearly a decade after Paola Buenrostro was killed, Mexico City prosecutors say they have arrested the man suspected of shooting her. Arturo “N” was captured on Aug. 31 in the El Tráfico neighborhood of Nicolás Romero, in the State of Mexico.

The arrest followed years of investigative work by agents from the Mexico City Police Investigation Division. Authorities had issued an arrest warrant on Oct. 19, 2016, but Arturo “N” remained a fugitive. In April 2023, the Mexico City prosecutor’s office offered a reward of up to 500,000 pesos for information that could help locate and arrest him.

According to the investigation, Buenrostro entered Arturo “N”’s vehicle in the early hours of Sept. 30, 2016, after he hired her services. She later asked her companions for help, and they heard two gunshots. When they approached the vehicle, they found Buenrostro unconscious in the front passenger seat, while Arturo “N” allegedly held a firearm. She died from her gunshot wounds.

Investigators searched locations in Mexico City and the State of Mexico and sought assistance from prosecutors in Baja California. After ruling out several possible locations, they focused on Nicolás Romero, where they eventually found the suspect. Prosecutors said the arrest should allow the case to move forward in court, while stressing that he remains presumed innocent unless a court establishes his criminal responsibility.

Buenrostro’s killing became an emblematic case for Mexico’s trans community. The former Human Rights Commission of the Federal District recognized it as the first transfemicide case and issued Recommendation 02/2019. That document identified irregularities in the initial investigation, including authorities’ failure to recognize Buenrostro’s gender identity and the secondary victimization of one of her companions.