TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — A television reporter and a cameraman were shot to death Wednesday in La Ceiba, a town on Honduras’ northern Caribbean coast that has been wracked by gang violence in the past.
National police spokesman Jair Meza said reporter German Vallecillo Jr. and the cameraman/producer he was working with, Jorge Pozas, were on a street when two gunmen stopped in a vehicle and opened fire.
Meza said the motive for the attack was under investigation.
“Given that German was involved in politics, he may have stopped to greet someone when they opened fire on him,” Meza added.
Later, police announced that five people had been detained in the case.
“We captured five people and we're certain that two of them participated in the act. They're fully identified,” Ceiba Deputy Police Chief Nelson Mejía said late Wednesday. No further details were released.
Vallecillo, who is the son of well-known journalist German Vallecillo, has expressed interest in running for a legislative seat from the area, his family said.
The father said Wednesday was the younger Vallecillo’s birthday. He said his son had no known enemies.
Pozas worked as a cameraman and producer for the local television station 45TV,
The Honduran association of journalists says 86 media workers had been killed in Honduras since 2001. Dagoberto Rodríguez, the association's president, said only seven of those killings had resulted in prosecutions.
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