Angry mob sets ablaze 3 kidnappers who killed Freddy Mendez, 11, despite being paid ransom

The boy's parents had paid a ransom of $19,000 for his release

UPDATED AUG 27, 2022

Three kidnappers were burned alive by locals after the murder of Freddy Mendez despite his parents paying the ransom (Facebook)

COLOTENANGO, GUATEMALA: After the murder of an 11-year-old boy, three kidnappers were burned alive by a Guatemalan mob recently. The boy, Freddy Mendez, 11, was killed after he was abducted by three men in Guatemala on August 12. They were accused of abducting and killing the boy and were then dragged out of a police station and set on fire by the locals.

The three kidnappers, Samuel Godinez, 38, Selvin Perez and Ovidio Mendez, both 24, were killed on Monday, August, 22, in the village of Xemal in Colotenango. According to the Guatemala National Police, the suspects had abducted Mendez asking for $19,000 as ransom. In order to prove the boy was alive, the kidnappers sent the child’s family a photo showing one of them holding a shotgun next to him. Even though the family paid the ransom, the boy was never returned.

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gautemala — The kidnappers sent this photo of Freddy Mendez to his family to prove he was alive (Facebook)

An angry mob arrived at the station, overwhlemed the police and captured one of the suspects before dragging him to Xemal. He is said to have confirmed young Mendez was shot in the head and buried in a pit. The furious locals dragged him to a wooded area in the western town of Colotonango before thrashing him and setting him aflame. The apoplectic mob then returned to the precinct and captured the other two alleged kidnappers, who were also beaten and set on fire. Local media reported that Mendez’s body was recovered on Tuesday, August 23.

fsfs — Angry Villagers burned three kidnappers in the village of Xémal in Colotenango, Guatemala (Facebook)

Investigators believe the boy was targeted because his father currently lives in the United States and would often send money back home for the construction of a new home. When the boy was not returned, the furious mob decided to take matter into their own hands.

Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America. Although the majority of serious crime involves local gangs, incidents are usually indiscriminate and can occur in tourist areas. The rate of kidnappings in Guatemala was at level of 2.5 cases per 100,000 population in 2015, down from 2.8 cases per 100,000 population in 2014. This is a change of 12.49% per cent.