San Diego Teen Murdered In Tijuana, Mexico
José Fernando Labastida Fimbres
For years, I have enjoyed all levels of entertainment in the great city of Tijuana,Mexico, and was always proud to organize a yearly excursion to the streets of TJ, as we call it here in San Diego, for my friends visiting San Diego for the first time during the wildly popular Comic-Con weekend.
I have not organized the trip for the past 4 years, due to the increasing levels of crime I have noticed there, and primarily because after more than 30 years of Tijuana nightlife, I was robbed at knife point, and relieved of the $2000.00 in cash I had in my wallet!!!!
First of all, it was a knife to my throat, and second of all…I should not have carried that much cash around.
I learn lessons well, and that was a big one, and a long time coming.I like to look at it as a wake-up call.
I hate to tell visitors not to travel there, because there are good people there that need the business, but, all the shootout, kidnappings and beheadings allegedly due to a drug cartel war, is way out of control!
It is so much out of control, it is spilling over our borders, and the fear of retaliation is quite enough to concern myself for my safety.
Many students, that have the financial ability, cross the border to attend school in San Diego, from TJ.For those of you in other parts of the country, this is a standard practice here in Southern California.I know the media may have you tricked into believing that they are all illegal aliens, but that is just a popular myth, perpetuated by some in the media, to stir racial discord.
I used to always tell people who the best place for an artist to live in San Diego, is Tijuana, Mexico….but now I can not,and it is quite unfortunate.
Today, local San Diego media is reporting that José Fernando Labastida Fimbres,heir to a popular discount shopping chain, has been gunned down in the streets of Tijuana, after a failed kidnapping attempt.
Click on this link to view his picture…https://jerrybrice.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/san-diego-teen-murdered-in-tijuana-mexico/labastida_2/
José, a 17-year-old junior, was gunned down gangland-style Monday afternoon in Tijuana’s Chapultepec neighborhood. The assailants fired 59 shots — 39 of them from an AK-47 rifle — at José at 4:30 p.m. as he sat inside his black Audi parked near his house.
He was one of six homicide victims reported Monday, the latest in a renewed wave of violence that has gripped the city in recent weeks, most of it perpetrated by rival criminal gangs targeting each other’s members. The great majority of crimes have taken place elsewhere in the city, not in the hillside enclave of the city’s elite.(SOURCE:http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/05/mater-dei-student-slain-in-mexico/)
His family owned the Calimex chain of grocery stores throughout Mexico.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calimax
Precautions had been taken to protect Labastida from becoming a ransom target but on Monday, outside a relative’s home in an upscale neighborhood, more than 50 bullets were fired into a car with Labastida inside.
He died on his way to the hospital.
It is being reported that some of the precautions that were used to protect Jose was him using a different last name than his wealthy entrepreneurial grandfather, as well as changing the photo on his Facebook page.
I am certain that all practical steps were taken, but I know that most people, young and old, are not ready to live their life as cautiously as most criminals or informants in the witness protection plan.
Socializing and sitting in cars in front of anybody’s house is totally out the window.
A memorial service for José was held in Tijuana Tuesday night.
A memorial service is planned for this Wednesday at Jose’s high school, Mater Dei, where he was a popular student, and avid golfer.
I don’t know what to say about the drug cartel violence in Tijuana, other than it must be stopped, or something has to happen.
At this point,the cartels are controlling the show,because they will scorch the earth with all of our blood.
Please,be aware, …and follow this story by accessing the local San Diego media linked below.This is not a good situation for anyone, ….and I do actively support an open border!!!…no matter what.
I love TJ, and look forward to better times there for all the good citizens of Mexico, and Southern California.
R.I.P Jose
Rest in peace Jose….
Jerrybrice's Blog 
Leave a Reply