Five men shot in Tijuana's La Mesa district

2:39 p.m., March 28, 2012

TIJUANA — Five men were shot to death in Tijuana Wednesday morning in a chain of events that began when a kidnapped man grabbed a high-caliber weapon, shot two men who were guarding him, then shot two others on the street nearby, according to law enforcement authorities.

Minutes later, the kidnap victim was himself killed in a confrontation with police.

The incident occurred at about 10 a.m. in Tijuana’s La Mesa District in a neighborhood known as Lomas Conjunto Residencial. There was no official account of the event, but a law enforcement official in Tijuana speaking on condition of anonymity gave a preliminary account.

After escaping his captors, the kidnap victim ran from the house. A couple of blocks away, he shot two other men, then stole a vehicle. The latter two victims were working as bodyguards for a local businessman and had no connection to the kidnapping, according to the law enforcement official.

Driving away, the victim soon ran into Tijuana municipal police officers responding to a report of gunshots. The victim was then killed in an armed confrontation with the officers, according to the law enforcement source.

Authorities found drugs and weapons at the safe house where the kidnapped man had been held, the source said.

Baja California authorities and federal investigators are looking into the incident, and authorities were expected to release more details later in the day.

Five men shot in Tijuana's La Mesa district | UTSanDiego.com