Peruvian firefighter dies in Russia after false job offer

Axel La Torre, a volunteer firefighter from El Callao, Peru, traveled to Spain seeking a better-paying paramedical job, only to find himself in a Russian combat zone where he died stepping on a mine. His family learned of his true fate after he was already in Russia and is now seeking assistance to repatriate his remains.

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Initially, the young man spoke of a job as a paramedic and even expressed enthusiasm for the economic conditions offered.

La Torre's sister, Gloria La Torre, explained that her brother was enthusiastic about the economic prospects offered by the supposed job in Spain. However, inconsistencies in his communications soon revealed he was in Russia, not Spain. The family insists he never intended to participate in armed conflict, suggesting his experience as a volunteer firefighter and his first aid skills made him a target for recruiters seeking foreigners.

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His family holds that he never intended to participate in an armed conflict.

According to his family, La Torre arrived in an area connected to the conflict and was exposed to military operations. A compatriot who escaped the front lines reported that La Torre stepped on a mine, sustaining severe leg injuries. This witness claimed La Torre asked his comrades to move away before the explosion, but he did not receive assistance and died at the scene. His family, who believed he was traveling to Spain, is now focused on bringing his body back to Peru for a proper farewell. They noted that he was known as "Búho" (Owl) and that a tattoo of an owl on his hand and arm could aid in identification.

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Axel asked his companions to move away before the explosion, but he did not receive assistance and died on the spot.