Two high school students apparently murdered their teacher and then tried to "get rid" of the body by feeding it to crocodiles
Diego Yasmar Barrales San Juan, 40, was reportedly kidnapped on August 6 after he left his home in Veracruz, Mexico to run some errands.
He was reportedly taken to a remote location and held against his will, with his family claiming his captors demanded $2m (£76,700) in exchange for his release. The family, living on a meager salary, was unable to pay the ransom.
His car was found on a country road in Álamo Temapache, northeast of Mexico City, the next day. That same night, the teacher's body was found floating in the Pantepec River in nearby Tuxpan.
Diego's cause of death remains under investigation, but the teacher was reportedly beaten repeatedly before he died.
Two suspects – aged 17 and 18 – were reportedly arrested on Friday and charged with aggravated kidnapping. It is unclear why they have not yet been charged with murder.
"The body was found in the river where there are crocodiles, with the intention of getting rid of it ," his aunt, María Amada del Socorro, told local media, as reported by NeedToKnow. "But the crocodiles didn't touch it."
He added: " No ransom was paid, that's why they killed him.
"We didn't have that money.
"We live on one salary."
The suspects are both former students of the teacher and one was his neighbor, according to reports. It is believed that there was probably another motive besides the financial one.
According to reports, the families of the suspects are pressuring the authorities to release the teenagers, but Diego's relatives want the students to be brought before a judge, El Democrata reported.
Diego's aunt, María Amada del Socorro, says the family wants "justice" for the teacher. Relatives reportedly staged a protest in Xalapa on August 8 and wrote a letter to the Attorney General's Office demanding that law enforcement officials ensure that the case does not go unpunished
Amada said: “ All we ask for is justice and for the truth to be revealed. We are not here to condemn anyone – we just don't want this crime to go unpunished .'
The Office of the Attorney General, in a statement to El Heraldo de Mexico, confirmed the case, saying: "The District Attorney's Office for the Northern Zone of Tuxpan brought charges against Juan Deigo "N" and succeeded in legalizing the detention of a minor, whose identity protected, as the most likely perpetrators of the crime of aggravated robbery.
"These events occurred on August 6, in the municipality of Álamo, when they allegedly deprived the victim of his freedom, demanded payment for his release and then took his life."
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