An elderly long-time expat resident suffered a harsh beating at the hands of an intruder who broke into his central Ajijic home in the early hours of Thursday, July 17.
The victim, John Molinari, 93, is gradually recuperating from cuts and bruises to the head, back and chest. His frail 88-year-old wife was not harmed. Molinari says that he awoke in the middle of the night when he heard his small dog barking incessantly. Wandering through the house to see what was up, he came upon a stranger whose face was concealed by a cap and mask. “I raised my cane and yelled ‘Get out of here.’ He grabbed the cane and began hitting me. He kept screaming in Spanish ‘Where’s the money? Where are the keys?’ I don’t recall what happened after that.”
Around 7 a.m., a helpful neighbor who came to collect the couple’s trash found the garage door wide open and a dazed Molinari sprawled on the living room floor. The house had been thoroughly ransacked. Molinari’s wallet, some jewelry, a television and the couple’s Nissan Maxima were missing. The telephone line had been cut and an electric meter connected to the neighboring grounds of the Lake Chapala Society had disappeared.
Chapala police and Red Cross medics were called to the scene. A short time later, officers located the car, minus the battery, abandoned near the beach area in La Cancinta. Contents of the wallet were later found in San Juan Cosalá.
According to Rogelio Reyes, head of Chapala’s Minisiterio Público (district attorney) office, a forensic team arrived at the crime scene later on Friday to collect fingerprints and other evidence that has provided strong leads for identifying the perpetrator.