A judge has extended the pre-trial detention of three Ixtlahuacan de Membrillos municipal police officers arrested in connection with the death of Giovanni Lopez, the 30-year-old construction worker who died in mysterious circumstances a few hours after being taken into custody on the evening of May 4, 2020.
Although it has yet to be stipulated exactly how much longer authorities will be given to continue their investigation of the case with the suspects still in detention, under the Mexican penal code, individuals accused of certain serious crimes can be imprisoned immediately and legally for up to two years without receiving a sentence.
Relatives of Ixtlahuacán resident López initially claimed he was detained for not using a face mask, although police reports at the time suggest he was acting aggressively toward the officers.
The death of López provoked a major outcry and condemnation of police brutality, fueled also by the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States. A demonstration held in Guadalajara ended in acts of vandalism and confrontations between protesters and anti-riot police. Some of the protesters later filed charges of police brutality, with six claiming they were illegally abducted, blindfolded and taken to a remote spot on the outskirts of the city, where they were abused before being released.
Several officials, including Salvador Perea, the commander of the State Prosecutor’s Office, were forced to take a leave of absence in the wake of the accusations. Some reports suggest Perea will soon be reinstated, with the case against him reportedly on the verge of collapse.