SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Violent armed robberies, also described as muggings, were up by more than 13 percent in Tijuana, according to the city’s Secretary of Public Safety and Security.
The figure was taken from police reports filed by victims.
In 2022, state crime figures show there were 1,595 armed robberies in Tijuana, last year there were more than 1,800 reported.
Tijuana’s police chief, José Fernando Sánchez González, says more and more robbers are using weapons to assault members of the public and businesses.
“They are not always real weapons, but are very similar, any citizen will think it’s a real gun,” said Sánchez González. “Often, upon making arrests, we discover the guns were fake … now they have to be investigated as a robbery and suspects aren’t charged with carrying an illegal gun even though the threat of violence was implied.”
The chief said one suspect caught using a fake weapon was found to be responsible for robbing 15 convenience stores in Tijuana last year.
Read: Read More