Young Venezuelan dies after being shot in the head in Buenos Aires phone robbery
In the early hours of Monday morning, a young man was shot in the head when he resisted the theft of his cell phone, in another act of insecurity that shook the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Palermo.
Local news outlets reported Monday that a young Venezuelan had died of severe injuries after being shot during a robbery in Buenos Aires.
The incident took place in the early hours of Monday morning in the Palermo neighbourhood. The victim, identified as Juan Francisco Fernández Acosta, a 27-year-old of Venezuelan descent, was shot in the head as he resisted attempts by an attacker to steal his mobile phone.
The fatal shooting happened after 2.15am at 1450 Aráoz Street, between Gorriti and Honduras, just around the corner from a local police station.
According to witnesses, the young Venezuelan was sitting on the pavement with a friend when they were approached by a thief.
"Give me your mobile phone or you want to die," the thief allegedly said before a brief struggle took place, according to a friend of the victim. Faced with resistance, the assailant shot Fernández Acosta in the head.
Juan Francisco was rushed to the Fernandez Hospital in the capital and was initially reported to be in a serious condition in intensive care and on a ventilator. He later passed away.
The offender escaped from the scene with the young man's mobile phone and is now being sought by City police.
The murder took place on the street in front of Fernández Acosta's home and caused a commotion on the block, with local residents saying they no longer feel safe.
The homicide division of the City Police, working on the orders of prosecutor Marcelo Retes, are said to be checking security cameras and talking to witnesses as they search to locate the suspect or suspects.
–– TIMES/NA