Brother of Buenos Aires province mayor arrested for shooting man in alleged revenge attack

Ramiro Ariel Aristimuño, the brother of Coronel Rosales Mayor Rodrigo Aristimuño, was arrested after allegedly shooting a 31-year-old man outside his home in Punta Alta, Buenos Aires province. The victim, Federico Nicolás Prestipino, was shot in the left thigh and taken to hospital. He was reported to be out of danger.

The incident occurred at around 2 p.m. on Friday at a home on 11 de Septiembre Street. According to local outlet Punta Noticias, Prestipino answered a knock at the door and found Aristimuño, whom he knew. The accused allegedly fired one shot. Prestipino also told authorities that he was struck on the head with a gun and that Aristimuño was accompanied by another man.

Investigators initially suspect a romantic dispute. A 21-year-old woman who was reportedly Aristimuño’s former partner was inside the house when the attack occurred. Local media also reported that Prestipino and the alleged attacker had longstanding problems, which investigators added to the case.

Police from the local force, the SubDDI and the municipal security office arrested Aristimuño after he allegedly fled the scene with an accomplice in a gray car. Officers seized the vehicle along with three firearms, ammunition, marijuana, cocaine, a precision scale and cash. Aristimuño had also been wanted under an active arrest warrant in an aggravated robbery case. He had previously been charged in a drug-trafficking case that was later annulled.

The case is being handled by Prosecutors’ Offices No. 15 and No. 19 and Guarantee Court No. 4 of the Bahía Blanca Judicial Department. The accused remained detained at the Punta Alta police station. After the arrest became known, Mayor Aristimuño acknowledged his relationship with the suspect in a social media post and sought to distance the municipality from the incident and from any possible benefit the suspect might receive because of his family connection to the mayor.