Attorney General for Baja California Hirám Sánchez reported that the firearm used to murder photojournalist Margarito Martínez Esquivel of Tijuana on Monday was used to commit at least five other violent crimes within the same area.
A 9-millimeter military weapon was used in five violent events between June and June 2020 in the Delegation Sánchez Taboada, which is the same one where the photojournalist was murdered.
The prosecutor also confirmed that César Peña, a subject who poses as a reporter to appear in places where violent incidents occur, is being investigated.
Peña accused Martínez a month ago, without any evidence, of running a Facebook page that drug traffickers use to report homicides and other crimes.
Sonia de Anda, a journalism leader in Tijuana, said that same day, Margarito asked the union for support because he feared that groups mentioned in those pages would attack him or his family.
De Anda explained that, after that incident, the photojournalist tried to enroll in protection programs for journalists of the federal and Baja California governments, but the process was inconclusive.
Now the authorities are investigating whether Peña has a criminal record and if he made his false accusation against Margarito with the knowledge that the photojournalist would suffer reprisals.
The intelligence data rule out the version of the municipal police, which hastened to preliminarily conclude that the journalist's death was due to an argument between neighbors.
More than a hundred journalists appeared for the news conference with the Attorney General.
Tijuana journalists plan to hold a vigil to draw attention to attacks on colleagues in Mexico.
Margarito Martínez covered police photos for more than 20 years. During the years in which there were more homicides in Tijuana, between 2006 and 2008, Margarito began to greet and say goodbye with police codes, he said "10-4", to say agreed or aware, and "4-4" to say goodbye. say hello or say goodbye. They soon identified him as Margarito 4-4 Martínez.
