BajaNomad - Armed robbery of surfer on beach north of guerrero negro

Armed robbery of surfer on beach north of guerrero negro

mtgoat666 - 1-8-2025 at 08:15 PM

From FB page of Guerrerodesal.

I think the location is a beach near the military checkpoint north of GN.

🚔🛑⚠️‼️ Estadounidense salió a surfear en la playa el Muertito CERQUITAS DE LOS MILITARES en BC pero lo asaltaron

Fue la tarde noche de ayer cuando un ciudadano estadounidense pasó la peor experiencia de su vida, cuando decidió acampar en una de las tranquilas playas aledañas a la comunidad de #GroNegro, y por cierto ubicada cercas del retén militar de San Isidro por el tomatal.

Fue en ese sitio donde una pareja armada con fusil y una P1STOL4 le quitaron sus pertenencias, dejándolo literalmente con su perro de compañía

A estas horas se nos dijo que el turista pretendía acudir al retén a poner la denuncia sobre los hechos donde no se supo más del paradero de los delincu3nt35….Así las cosas en las inmediaciones de nuestro pueblo.

stillnbaja - 1-8-2025 at 08:54 PM

American went surfing at El Muertito beach CLOSE TO THE MILITARY in BC but was assaulted It was last night when an American citizen had the worst experience of his life, when he decided to camp on one of the quiet beaches near the community of #GroNegro, and by the way located near the military checkpoint in San Isidro by the tomato field. It was at that site where a couple armed with a rifle and a P1STOL4 took his belongings, literally leaving him with his pet dog At this time we were told that the tourist intended to go to the checkpoint to file a complaint about the events where the whereabouts of the criminals were not known... That's how things are in the vicinity of our town.

geoffff - 1-9-2025 at 01:05 AM

https://www.facebook.com/profile/100026627836911/search/?q=C...

No further details there.

"por cierto ubicada cercas del retén militar de San Isidro por el tomatal."

Where is "el tomatal"?

[Edited on 1-9-2025 by geoffff]

chippy - 1-9-2025 at 05:04 AM

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff

https://www.facebook.com/profile/100026627836911/search/?q=C...

No further details there.

"por cierto ubicada cercas del retén militar de San Isidro por el tomatal."

Where is "el tomatal"?

There is a Tomatal south of Punta Rosarito (the wall). I believe it´s also called Millers landing?

[Edited on 1-9-2025 by geoffff]

[Edited on 1-9-2025 by chippy]

RnR - 1-9-2025 at 07:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff

El Tomatal is the military checkpoint about 30 miles north of Guerrero Negro.

There is a road that goes down to the beach about 1/4 mile north of the checkpoint. About three miles to the beach.

mtgoat666 - 1-9-2025 at 08:31 AM

A crime like this in a very remote area and so close to a military camp,… makes one wonder if the perps were off-duty military or people the military allows to operate with impunity…

A shame, as I always thought that area of coast north of GN up to 7 sisters was safe.

geoffff - 1-9-2025 at 11:07 AM

I see now. There is a beach settlement called El Tomatal there.

I've never camped there ... and will make a note not to in the future.

mtgoat666 - 1-9-2025 at 04:14 PM

from TB facebook comments:

"He's a friend of mine. It was on the road, into the wall. north of the Punta Prieta Inspection. A man and a woman with a gun. 4 in the morning. They took all his camping gear All his money took a picture of his driver's license. and let him and his dog go."

wilderone - 1-9-2025 at 04:48 PM

"It was on the road, into the wall. north of the Punta Prieta Inspection"

Don't understand that description.
Regardless, sounds like military checkpoint person told somebody where a victim would be. Military checkpoint guys need camping gear and money. And as I recall the road to El Tomatal is right at the checkpoint.

David K - 1-9-2025 at 05:03 PM

As stated, El Tomatal is accessed at the checkpoint, where you drive west. A branch road goes north to La Esmeralda camp. Continue west to the coast and turn south for El Tomatal. Some abandoned homes are passed (Ginger McMahan-Potter lived there when Graham did his walk, in the 80s. In his first book, he called her 'Blondie'). A fish camp is just past. Miller's Landing is a short distance south of El Tomatal.
For more details, see my road guide at www.vivabaja.com

[Edited on 1-10-2025 by David K]

SFandH - 1-10-2025 at 10:11 AM

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone

"It was on the road, into the wall. north of the Punta Prieta Inspection"

Don't understand that description.

"into the wall" - the wall is a surf break

David K - 1-10-2025 at 11:56 AM

'The Wall' is the surfer's name for Punta Rosarito, north of El Tomatal and well south of Punta Prieta.

AKgringo - 1-10-2025 at 12:11 PM

I was in the area about the time this happened. I drove toward Santa Rosalillita and found a spot in the desert out of sight of the main road to spend the night.

BajaBlanca - 1-11-2025 at 01:29 AM

Really terrible.

wilderone - 1-11-2025 at 09:08 AM

ok "The Wall" - good to know. I've camped at El Tomatal, and started to drive that Punta Rosarito road - but turned around -was too bumpy for me. That's what is concerning - I've believed that thieves wouldn't make the effort to get to these remote spots and expect that there would be an available victim. Had to be based on a tip.

cupcake - 1-11-2025 at 11:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone

ok "The Wall" - good to know. I've camped at El Tomatal, and started to drive that Punta Rosarito road - but turned around -was too bumpy for me. That's what is concerning - I've believed that thieves wouldn't make the effort to get to these remote spots and expect that there would be an available victim. Had to be based on a tip.

In 2017, I climbed Iztaccíhuatl, a mountain in the Mexico City area. I spent one night at the Grupo de Los Cien Hut and went to the summit the next day. This hut is at 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) and to reach it there is some class 2-3 terrain which must be negotiated. It is also a good day's travel from the trail head, which in turn is quite a long drive from the town of Amecameca.
When I got back to the hut from the summit, I found that my sleeping bag had been stolen. I had paid a taxi driver to take me to the trail head, and we had agreed on the price before starting out. Upon reaching the trail head, the driver thought he would extort a higher fee from me by holding onto my pack until I paid. I ripped my pack from his arms and set off on my climb. Did this taxi driver tip off someone that I would be at the hut? It is possible. In any event, that is a long way to go in order to steal something. I am lucky I was able to summit and return to town in the same day, as I would not want to spend a night out up there without the sleeping bag (not even in the hut). Fortunately, I returned on a Saturday, when there were many other people on the mountain, and was able to hitch a ride to town.

I left the hut to climb to the summit before first light. There is some 3rd class rock climbing not far above the hut. As I was starting this section, I saw and heard at least two people below me. Where had they come from? They were not in the hut with me the previous night. They were not too far below me and I didn't know what their intensions were, or if they were just out to climb the mountain. I decided to put the 3rd class section immediately between myself and them. I could see them turn around at the base of the 3rd class rock. They must have known they were not going to be able to catch me (there is more 3rd class rock higher on the route, and also the need for crampons due to ice). Are these the guys that stole my sleeping bag? If they had been able to reach me, would they have robbed me?

In a previous year, there had been a rape and murder on this mountain. Linked below is an interesting read.

On Mexico's Volcanoes: Living with Crime at 16,000 feet
https://insightcrime.org/news/analysis/on-mexico-volcano-liv...

I am now reconsidering my planned hikes of some of the Camino Real sections in Baja. In addition to random robberies, I have read that many, or most, of the water sources on these routes are being used by drug people for growing.

[Edited on 1-13-2025 by cupcake]

Goyo - 1-17-2025 at 03:15 PM

This post is confusing. The Spanish-language post on Facebook says it occurred at La Playa Muertito. This is the local name for a particular part of the coast just south of Punta Rosarito ("the Wall") near the abandoned white house. It's right where Ricardo's camp is and where he launches his panga. There has been a cross placed into the ground here for years. Perhaps David K. knows the story because I have forgotten the exact details. But it has to do with some locals finding a dead baby/child at this location many years ago. Hence the name, "Muertito."

I recently heard from a friend who spends a lot of time down there that the robbery happened a few miles south of Muertito near where the dirt road from the highway first meets the coast.

[Edited on 1-17-2025 by Goyo]

utahtobaja - 1-29-2025 at 10:56 PM

Does anybody have a link to the TB faecbook post or was it taken down? The link in this thread is broken and I can’t seem to find it on TB.

Also, is anybody sure that it was at 4 am? Hard to believe he was driving that road at 4 am. Anyone know if he had come up from the south or from the north? If he had come from the south, he would have hit the military check point.

utahtobaja - 1-29-2025 at 11:11 PM

Does anybody have a link to the TB faecbook post or was it taken down? The link in this thread is broken and I can’t seem to find it on TB.

Also, is anybody sure that it was at 4 am? Hard to believe he was driving that road at 4 am. Anyone know if he had come up from the south or from the north? If he had come from the south, he would have hit the military check point.

Lee - 1-30-2025 at 10:31 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

A shame, as I always thought that area of coast north of GN up to 7 sisters was safe.

Might have been safe at some past time, but I've never thought any place is safe SOB.

surabi - 1-30-2025 at 11:04 AM

Quote: Originally posted by utahtobaja

Does anybody have a link to the TB faecbook post or was it taken down? The link in this thread is broken and I can’t seem to find it on TB.

Also, is anybody sure that it was at 4 am? Hard to believe he was driving that road at 4 am. Anyone know if he had come up from the south or from the north? If he had come from the south, he would have hit the military check point.

Nowhere is it stated that he was driving at 4am. He was robbed at 4am where he was camping. The "on the road" in the reports, was a description of where he was camped. But I can understand why that was confusing.

David K - 1-30-2025 at 04:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Goyo

This post is confusing. The Spanish-language post on Facebook says it occurred at La Playa Muertito. This is the local name for a particular part of the coast just south of Punta Rosarito ("the Wall") near the abandoned white house. It's right where Ricardo's camp is and where he launches his panga. There has been a cross placed into the ground here for years. Perhaps David K. knows the story because I have forgotten the exact details. But it has to do with some locals finding a dead baby/child at this location many years ago. Hence the name, "Muertito."

I recently heard from a friend who spends a lot of time down there that the robbery happened a few miles south of Muertito near where the dirt road from the highway first meets the coast.

[Edited on 1-17-2025 by Goyo]

I first read the of El Muertito in the Lower California Guidebook, 11 miles south of Santa Rosalillita:
"A solitary grave on the right side of the road. Seasonally occupied fish camp".

See it just south of Punta Rosarito on this 1962 Lower California Guidebook map. 'Fish Camp' is Santa Rosalillita:

El Muertito 1962.jpg - 332kB