Global General

Mexican town's only police officer kidnapped

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-28 16:23

MEXICO CITY- The only police officer of a northern Mexican border town Guadalupe, Chihuahua State, was kidnapped by a group of gunmen last Thursday, local authorities announced Monday.

Related readings: Mass kidnap of migrants reported in Mexico  27 killed in Mexico pipeline explosion  Mexico says 'craziest' cartel leader killed

Spokesman Carlos Gonzalez of the state's Attorney General's Office said that the 28-year-old police officer, Erika Gandara, was abducted from her house and her present whereabouts remained unknown.

Gandara became a policewoman last June, after a police officer there was murdered in the town. Fearing of being killed by armed rebels, more police officers left and finally Gandara became the only officer in Guadalupe.

Guadalupe has a population of nearly 10,000, and it is devastated by drug violence. Hundreds of people have been murdered this year, including police officers and civilians. A female officer's house was set on fire and her 17-year-old granddaughter was kidnapped on December 25.

Before missing, Gandara kept her daily patrol on the street with rifle in hand. She said she often felt scared like others, but she had to perform her duty.

More than 30,000 people have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon started a nationwide crackdown on drug cartels four years ago. However, thousands of police officers who are inadequately paid and armed take a perfunctory attitude on the issue.