Suspect in murder on the Malecon Gary Gaines Hidalgo arrested in Salt Lake City
Gary Gaines Hidalgo was arrested in Salt City yesterday with the help of a private investigator and the US Marshalls as a suspect in the murder of
Jonathan Hernández Ascencio. Hines is being held in Utah pending a extradition hearing to return him to La Paz.
The case has been controversial and led to the dismissal of the PGJ Procurador who released Gary without charges, after many citizen rallies for
justice in La Paz, the Procurador resigned and charges were apparently reinstated.
This case has been a high profile case with apparently more than a dozen witnesses to the crime which occurred at Micheladas bar on the Malecon. In
any case, it's a surprising turn of events, which I hope is followed by an open and public court case-which presumes innocence until proven guilty and
bodes well for justice and transparency for La Paz.
If you have any more pertinent info about this please contribute.
Apparently there are many other suspects, including Emilio González Rubio Ojeda and much controversy between witnesses about the events surrounding
the murder...
Has anyone dared to write a comprehensive and accurate account of this murder?
Is it true that our Consulate in CSL assisted in the escape of this felon?
What was an 18 year old doing in a bar anyway?
Where did the gun come from?
What was the motive for the killing?
The way this event was (mis) handled, involving corruption in high places, seems to indicate the killing was not simply the product of a stupid bar
argument, what cops in the U.S. refer to as "words, fisticuffs, gunplay."
This kind of thing is so out-of-character in La Paz I should think that curiosity about it is running high. Are we to expect more of this kind of
thing in the future in La Paz, or is it an anomaly, an isolated event?
In any case, it's a surprising turn of events, which I hope is followed by an open and public court case-which presumes innocence until proven guilty
and bodes well for justice and transparency for La Paz.
U.S. marshals arrested a murder suspect from Mexico in West Valley City on Saturday.
The 18-year-old man from the state of Baja California was wanted in connection with the execution-style murder of a young attorney there, said
Supervisory Deputy Jim Phelps.
“This was an extremely high-profile case,” he said. He escaped from Mexico with the help of the state’s attorney general, Phelps said, who has since
been fired after allegations of corruption. Investigators traced the alleged murderer to California or Utah and U.S. marshals put several of his
family members in West Valley City under surveillance. They spotted the man at a TV repair shop near 1600 West and 3500 South and, after confirming
his identity, arrested him outside a nearby Super Savers grocery store about 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
“We were very excited,” to make the arrest, Phelps said. He was booked into the Salt Lake County jail, and will be extradited to Mexico, Phelps said.
The 18 drinking age, plus the fact that it was mostly not enforced anyway was one of the main reason that Tijuana always filled up on weekend nights
with NOB kids. Time was, before the US federal government began exercising the threat of withholding funds to the states, that a number of places had
18 as the age. Having grown up in New York, I recall kids from all the surrounding states would come in to party. I met folks from as far away as
Massachusetts. Same was true in DC. Maryland and Virginia were 21. DC was 18.
In any case, it's a surprising turn of events, which I hope is followed by an open and public court case-which presumes innocence until proven guilty
and bodes well for justice and transparency for La Paz.
When did they start doing that?
In recent years, Mexico opted to change it's judical system to presumed innocent and to begin to use oral arguments in court instead of written
arguments. Though it's been suggested that this will also require massive changes to laws, process and habits.
Yeah....I know all about the lip-service paid to the thought of rightous dignity and all that stuff, but I figured those in power wouldn't ever
actually relinquish that much control. But, that won't stop them from talking about it for the next five hundred years.
Your fantasy, stated above, had me wondering, just for a moment, if any efforts had been made to implement these new procedures.
Oh, well..........
Dennis, you are right, nothing has changed as exemplified by this case.
This case of the murder of Jonathan Hernández Ascencio is very sad and telling. The effort to bring Gaines Hidalgo before a court in Utah to review
the case to determine extradition will hopefully shed light on the corruption.
thanks much gnukid, had been trying to update on that very issue.. as I thought Mexico had moved away from the "guilty" until proved innocent ... but
just could not get it ....
great timing.. thanks again.. just got all the new rubber for the bronco windows and will getting them installed .... the unit is still running just
great.. and found I did not have a broken air conditioner... just that it used the old refrigerant .... so have purchased enough to keep it working
for my life time.. was pretty cool, just plugged it back in.. charged it... and now I have "ice cubes" coming out the vents.. other thing.. got a 10
year old Alpine CD player.. for $20 dollars.. it was top of the line (at that time) and was in excellent condition ... a good way to get a decent unit
and not pay the top price they are asking.. Alpine has always made a decent unit.. even used and 10 years old.. works just fine ...
Did not want to highjack the thread.. as it is a very solid point of discussion.. legal remedies available in the United States and/or Mexico.. very
interesting things happening .... driven by Politics big time..
Hope I'm not put upon just because I'm white.. I'm a minority you know..
My bet is, since this guy is a nuthin', they'll give him up so they can call in a marker in the future.
He may be a "nuthin'" in your opinion, but the Hernandez Ascencio family is extremely motivated and have driven this investigation from the beginning.
They are organized, wealthy Pacenos and have had the murder of their family member in the local news constantly. Why do you think the Attorney General
had to resign? His office allowed the alleged killer to leave the country. This is a scandal that is not going away anytime soon. I admire their
patience and courage.
And I would love to hear Jesse weigh in on this.
This family may just get the justice that their son Jonathan deserves.
[Edited on 6-23-2010 by Loretana]
[Edited on 6-23-2010 by Loretana]
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."
-Nikola Tesla
I support the family of Jonathon, he was a very good person, and I was initially extremely happy to hear of the arrest of Gary which I hoped will
bring some conclusion and will bring more to light about corruption.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
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