Three people were killed, and a 14-year-old boy is fighting for his life after an American family was ambushed and shot while on vacation in Durango, Mexico, near the town of Las Palmas in the municipality of Santiago Papasquiaro.
The tragedy unfolded as Vicente Peña Jr. from Chicago, traveled with his teenage son, Jason Peña, to visit family over the Christmas holidays.
Peña, his brother Antonio Fernandez, and 22-year-old Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre, who was a resident of Mexico, were fatally shot in the attack. Peña’s teenage son, the sole survivor, was critically injured, but is said to be improving.
“As you can only imagine, this is a nightmare for his mother. And right now, what we’re trying to do is provide that advocacy and security,” said Julia Contreras of United Giving Hope, a non-profit working with the family. Contreras contacted the U.S. State Department to assist in bringing the boy and surviving relatives back to the United States.
The teenager’s grandmother, Maria Elena Hernandez, recounted the heartbreak of a desperate call from her daughter, who tearfully shared the devastating news of the attack. Speaking to WLS through a translator, Hernandez expressed her deep sorrow, revealing that her daughter was overwhelmed with grief and uncertainty after the tragedy. Hernandez herself was in Chicago when the ambush occurred.
Vicente Peña, the boy’s grandfather, shared his anguish with WMAQ-TV, calling the incident a “massacre” that has devastated their lives. Speaking in Spanish, he described the profound loss, saying his son was “shot four times in the head.”
According to family spokesperson Contreras, the incident occurred when Jason’s father, uncle Antonio Fernández, and relative Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre left their residence to purchase supplies. After failing to return, the boy’s grandfather alerted authorities, who discovered their SUV with Illinois plates, and the bodies of all three men with multiple gunshot wounds.
Contreras stated the Mexican authorities haven’t provided a motive, though residents reportedly avoid the highway after dark due to cartel control.
The attack occurred amid a surge in violent crime in Durango and other parts of Mexico. The U.S. State Department’s travel advisory warns American citizens to exercise increased caution due to widespread violent crime, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery.
A SpotFund campaign launched by the teen’s mother reveals that the 14-year-old had traveled to Durango, Mexico, with his father, brother, and uncle to celebrate his birthday and visit relatives.
The Durango Attorney General’s Office revealed on Monday, January 6, 2025, that Iram Uranga Armendariz has been formally charged in connection with the attack. Armendariz received a prison sentence of 66 years, seven months, and nine days. The incident reportedly targeted men accused of failing to pay Armendariz $250,000 for a land purchase.
