The Puerto Peñasco police chief and his bodyguard are recovering after being shot Saturday night.
Erick Francisco Landagaray and his bodyguard, Luis Huerta Ibarra, were attacked around 11 p.m. while patrolling the Mexican seaside city, also known as Rocky Point.
Juan Antonio Villa, spokesman for the Sonoran city, said Landagaray was shot six times and Huerta Ibarra once. Other details about the attack haven't been released because the investigation is ongoing.
Authorities wouldn't say if the incident was drug-related.
Villa said Landagaray was taken to a hospital in Hermosillo, Sonora, where he was in critical condition. His bodyguard was in stable condition.
Right after the attack, city officials asked for help from federal and state authorities, and more agents were sent to patrol Rocky Point, Villa said.
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Villa added that the "city is calm. Yes, we have more agents, but everything is normal."
Lazaro Hernandez Bravo has been appointed interim police chief.
The shooting came a day after a fleeing car was pursued to a point 30 minutes south of the border city of Sonoyta, leading to gunfire before police arrived, according to a statement released by Oscar Palacio, president of the Puerto Peñasco Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Palacio said all city activities are on normal schedule. Authorities from all levels of government are coordinating with the business community to ensure that Rocky Point and the road from Lukeville remain safe, he said. A meeting has been scheduled for today to further coordinate those efforts.
"The Puerto Peñasco community, both Mexicans and Americans, has been surprised by these two unprecedented incidents, and we are already mounting a strong response to ensure that they do not affect tourists or the local tourism industry," Palacio wrote. "Puerto Peñasco has enjoyed a long reputation as a safe, family destination, and it is a priority of the state of Sonora and city that it remains that way for many years to come."
The events come a month after the U.S. Consulate in Nogales issued an alert urging people to travel during the day on Mexican Highway 8 to Rocky Point because of unconfirmed reports of unofficial checkpoints on the highway.
The alert, released just before the busy Memorial Day weekend, drew ire from Rocky Point business leaders, who called it unjustified and poorly timed.
Contact reporter Mariana Alvarado at 573-4597 or malvarado@azstarnet.com
