Omar Guido Chávez, the 51-year-old owner of the Sodoma NightClub — an LGBTQ+ gogo bar in Tijuana, Mexico — was dismembered and placed in the trunk of his own car on October 18.
Investigators said the Sinaloa drug cartel placed evidence of their involvement in his vehicle. Police have reportedly arrested two suspects and aren’t investigating the murder as a hate crime.
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Police say 29-year-old Janne Puhakka was shot down in “a particularly brutal and cruel manner.”
Chávez’s family reported him as missing on October 16. His dismembered body was found in his vehicle: his torso was placed inside of a blue tub and the rest of his body parts were placed in a suitcase, according to The San Diego County News.
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In the back seat of his car, investigators found a “narco-banner” (narcomanta in Spanish), a message written on a strip of cloth often left by drug cartel members as a warning of their ability to harm others.
Last Friday, police arrested two suspects, only identified in the press as “Gabriel N.” and “Juan Diego N.” Surveillance footage reportedly connected Gabriel N. to Chávez’s abandoned car. The suspects allegedly tried to escape from police after officers stopped their vehicle for driving without headlights or seatbelts in use. The suspects ran away on foot.
Baja California homicide prosecutor Miguel Ángel Gaxiola said that there’s no evidence that anti-LGBTQ+ bias motivated the murderers. He also said that there was no record of previous threats against Chávez or the club, according to The Bay Area Reported. Police suspect that Chávez’s murder may have occurred due to warring rival drug cartels.
In an Instagram memorial post, the Sodoma Night Club wrote, “All working staff regret to inform you, with deep sorrow, of the passing of Omar Guido Chávez, who was a great friend, boss, and excellent person in life.”
“Omar Guido Chavez … was a great friend, boss and excellent person in life,” the night club wrote “We offer our condolences to family and close friends. We will always remember … that smile that characterized him, his love for life, and that great noble heart that believed in and helped many.”
The nightclub held a showcase of guest artists on the night of Sunday, October 27, to say goodbye to Chavez.
Comunidad ABC, a local LGBTQ+ organization, posted an open letter on Facebook that said, “It is essential that the authorities demonstrate with concrete actions their commitment to the safety of all people in Baja California, providing effective results in investigations, with sensitivity and a perspective of diversity and human rights.”
“We also demand that access to the truth be guaranteed and that all necessary measures be taken to prevent and avoid tragedies like this from happening again,” the letter continued. “We will not stop in the search for justice for Omar Guido, as well as for all victims of violence in our community.”
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