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Paraguay police raid tire shop linked to ride-share driver shooting

Paraguay police raid tire shop linked to ride-share driver shooting

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Police and prosecutors in Paraguay raided a tire shop in Lambaré as part of an investigation into a shooting that injured a ride-share driver.
  • Investigators believe the driver was an innocent bystander caught in crossfire between rival drug gangs.
  • A man was arrested at the shop and a firearm was seized, though it is not believed to be the weapon that wounded the driver.

Investigators in Paraguay have raided a tire shop in Lambaré, believing it to be the source of a stray bullet that injured a ride-share driver in May. The driver, Jorge Javier Méndez, was struck by a bullet while driving his car on May 28. Police suspect he was an unintended victim caught in a shootout between local drug trafficking gangs.

Ballistics analysis suggests the shot originated from the tire shop's rooftop, according to Subcomisario David Delgado of the Homicide Department. While the shop was searched, no drugs were found, and investigators do not believe it served as a drug distribution point. The raid did, however, lead to the arrest of one man, the father of a suspect in the gang confrontation.

the presumption - apparently corroborated by a ballistic analysis - is that the shot that wounded Méndez was fired from the terrace of the tire shop that was raided today.

— David DelgadoSubcomisario of the Homicide Department explaining the origin of the shot.

Authorities seized a .22 caliber revolver from the arrested man's room. However, preliminary findings indicate this was not the firearm used to injure Méndez. The investigation continues to identify those involved in the gang dispute and the specific weapon used in the shooting.

the man was arrested and would be prosecuted for illegal possession of a firearm after a .22 caliber revolver was found in his room.

— Verónica MayorProsecutor commenting on the arrest made during the raid.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.