Mexico: march in memory of a murdered Frenchman

Two hundred people, mostly members of the French community in Mexico City, denounced the murder of a French national and his Mexican associate while walking in the city on Monday.

Friends, relatives or simple neighbors of the victim, Baptiste Lormand, a 45-year-old restaurateur, expressed their indignation and their sadness by parading in the upscale district of Polanco where he had his establishment and where many foreigners live.

The body of Baptiste Lormand, also holder of Mexican nationality, was found Saturday in Tlapan, in the south of the capital, two days after his disappearance.

"We all feel vulnerable"

Holding up signs on which could be read "Amour-Dignité" and French tricolor flags, the march headed for the restaurant of the deceased to place bouquets of white flowers on a small altar erected in his memory.

“We are awaiting the authorities' response to this case.

We all feel vulnerable, ”Benito, a 39-year-old Frenchman who preferred to remain anonymous, told AFP.

Gabriela Cortés, a 58-year-old Mexican friend of Baptiste Lormand for a decade, said the rally was also aimed at "calling on the authorities to end the insecurity".

On Monday, the authorities of the capital announced the arrest of a first suspect in this double homicide committed against the backdrop of a transaction of great wines.

The track of the theft of wines "confirmed"

"Security forces have arrested an individual who may be linked to the death of the Franco-Mexican national," Omar García Harfuch, the capital's security secretary, wrote on Twitter.

Newsletter - Most of the news

Every morning, the news seen by Le Parisien

I'm registering

Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.

Learn more

According to García Harfuch, "the initial trail" of the theft of valuable wine bottles by the attacker (s) of the two men "has been confirmed".

Compañeros de @SSC_CDMX detuvieron en @ALaMagdalenaC a la primera persona posablemente relacionada con la muerte de un ciudadano franco-mexicano, con esta detención is confirmed the line of investigación previamente presentada en conferencia de prensa.

Informará más adelante.

pic.twitter.com/lSXXnA89lf

- Omar Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) November 30, 2020

Lormand was last seen Thursday in Polanco.

On Friday, his relatives had reported his disappearance to the authorities.

Thanks to security cameras, Lormand's vehicle had been located in Tlalpan.

Saturday at 2 am local in the morning, the bodies of the two associates had been found lifeless, with traces of blood on the skull and multiple bruises.