The Beat: As of Yesterday: 38 and Counting

Diario reports that in the first four days of 2010 38 persons were killed by homicide in Cd. Juarez.

One man, Moisés Hernández Martínez, 17 was killed at 6:40 a.m. yesterday in a tortilla store called "Argentina," in Col. Fco. Villa. The owner had been threatened with violence if he didn't pay an extortion fee. Ironically, Mr. Hernández was hired because the owner thought his store would be more secure if he hired a man, since all of his employees were women.

In another incident Gustavo Nolasco Méndez, 26, was shot and killed at 11:12 yesterday in Col. Patria while he was driving a Buick Riviera with his mother, Irma Méndez,54. Twenty two 7.62 x 39 y 9 mm. spent cartridges were found near the scene. His mother was wounded severely in the attack and she was taken to the Social Security hospital (No. 66), but was turned away. Paramedics from the Red Cross then took her to General Hospital, which admitted her.