Police in Honduras announced they have caught a second person in connection with the kidnapping and murder of the HRN journalist Alfredo Villatoro Rivera.
Villatoro’s body was found on Tuesday in Residencial Las Uvas, a quiet neighbourhood of Honduran capital city, Tegucigalpa. He was abducted on Wednesday the 9th May when he was intercepted between travelling from his home to his work.
Juan Ramón Fonseca, 25, who was captured today who is thought to have carried out negotiations for ransom with Villatoro’s family. Miguel Ángel Álvarez, 34, who was arrested on Wednesday, is another suspect in the case. Both men are pleading not guilty to the crime, stating they had no role in the kidnaping.
Police are transferring the two suspects under heavy guard to a maximum-security prison located in Tamara, 15 miles north of the capital. It is hoped that they will provide information about the kidnapping and killing of the journalist.
Two days ago, President Lobo Sosa offered the equivalent of US$157,400 for anyone who had any information on those responsible for the murders. Lobo and Bonilla Pompey, the security secretary, have assured that the perpetrators will be punished.
“The government is absolutely determined to regain security for Hondurans and defend their lives, we are doing everything possible to solve this crime and clarify the details,” said Lobo in a public statement.
The Honduran government and President Lobo have previously been criticised as not giving enough protection for journalists, or prosecuting perpetrators of violence towards journalists.
