TIJUANA A state police agent was shot to death Friday evening as he was driving away from his home in an eastern neighborhood.
The murder sparked a police operation that led to a gun battle that left one suspect dead and two other officers gravely wounded, the state Attorney Generals Office announced.
The agency identified the agent who was killed as José Miguel Guerra Acuña, 35, who had worked for the ministerial police for 12 years and was assigned to the apprehensions group.
The attack occurred at 6:10 p.m. and shortly afterward authorities launched a police operation in the citys east side.
As a result two men believed to be the killers were located and a gun battle erupted a few blocks from where the agent had been slain.
One suspect was killed, and two municipal police officers were gravely wounded and were hospitalized at the Red Cross hospital.
The attack occurred on Isla Tiburón Street, in the neighborhood of El Pípila,
when the agent was leaving his home in a Chevrolet Silverado SUV.
Investigators found 51 shells of 7.62 mm caliber and eight casings of .45 mm caliber at the scene.
The agents murder occurs after a series of seven violent killings in less than 36 hours, all apparently linked to organized crime.
And it comes two days after the arrest of Jesús Israel de la Cruz López, nicknamed El Tomate.
This man, who was arrested with four other men, was identified as the successor of Teodoro García Simental, El Teo, the leader of a criminal cell dedicated to drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder.
Omar.millan@sandiegored.com
