Callao priest shot in the face as three are wounded in suspected extortion-related shooting

A priest was shot in the face and two other people were wounded during a gun battle near a church in La Legua, Callao. The shooting took place at about 5:20 p.m. on Friday, September 4, at San Fernando Park, close to Santa Teresita church.

José Arcadio Nazario Ayala, the church’s priest, suffered a gunshot wound to his left cheek. He was taken to Daniel A. Carrión Hospital and kept under observation. Despite the injury, he later left the hospital because doctors determined that he was not in danger.

The other wounded people were identified as Darvis Jesús Monagro Peña, a Venezuelan national, and Edith Josefina Rodríguez Antezana. Both received treatment at Alberto B. Thompson Hospital.

Police units were sent to the San Fernando urbanization after an alert from the 105 emergency center. Officers found Monagro Peña lying injured on the pavement and transported him to hospital. They also confirmed that Rodríguez Antezana was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound, while another police unit verified the priest’s admission to Daniel A. Carrión Hospital.

Police said San Fernando Park is undergoing renovation and that the work may have been the subject of suspected extortion. Investigators are examining whether that alleged extortion was connected to the shooting near Santa Teresita church. Officers isolated the crime scene and continued gathering evidence to determine how the attack unfolded and who was responsible for the gunfire.