Thread: Men Open Fire At Tijuana Restaurant, Killing American Diner

http://www.10news.com/news/9885128/detail.html

Men Open Fire At Tijuana Restaurant, Killing American Diner
Woman Was El Cajon Native

POSTED: 9:09 am PDT September 19, 2006
UPDATED: 9:33 am PDT September 19, 2006

SAN DIEGO -- An American woman killed last week when a group of men opened fire at a restaurant in Tijuana has been identified as a 30-year-old El Cajon native, it was reported Tuesday.

Shaleece Louise Santiago and a waitress were apparently innocent victims in an attack Thursday on a group of police officers eating at the restaurant, Mexican authorities told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The assault at the Mi Chante restaurant killed a federal police officer and wounded four police officers and diners.

The day Santiago was killed, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City released a travel advisory to U.S. citizens about the "rising level of brutal violence in areas of Mexico." U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza attributed some of the violence to drug traffickers, the newspaper reported.

Mexican authorities said last week that Thursday's attack may have been in retaliation for law enforcement's work in combating crime.

Santiago, whose memorial was held in Tijuana over the weekend, worked at a Wal-Mart store in Chula Vista, the newspaper reported.

http://www.signonsandiego.com

Co-workers mourn woman slain in Tijuana

By Anna Cearley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 19, 2006

The U.S. woman killed Thursday night when a group of men opened fire at a restaurant in Tijuana has been identified as Shaleece Louise Santiago, who worked at a Chula Vista Wal-Mart.

Santiago, 30, and a waitress were apparently innocent victims in an attack on a group of police eating at the restaurant, Mexican authorities said.

Lorena Blanco, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, said yesterday that Santiago, who was married to a Mexican national, was from El Cajon.

Employees of the Chula Vista Wal-Mart at 1150 Broadway said that more than 100 of Santiago's colleagues attended a memorial service for her in Tijuana over the weekend.

“Everybody here is really hurt by her loss,” said Marian Wolover, a store employee. “She was a beautiful person inside and out. She was helpful and a very hard worker.”

The attack at the Mi Chante restaurant also killed a federal police officer. Four police and diners were wounded.

Attempts to reach Santiago's family were unsuccessful.

Wolover said Santiago began working at the Wal-Mart about a year ago, starting as a cashier and becoming a supervisor in charge of the front-end cashiers. She was learning how to do the scheduling and to take on more responsibilities, Wolover said.

Wolover said Santiago was killed after working in Chula Vista that day.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City released a travel advisory to U.S. citizens that same day about the “rising level of brutal violence in areas of Mexico.” U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza attributed some of the violence to drug traffickers.

Mexican authorities said last week that Thursday's attack may have been in retaliation for law enforcement's work in combating crime.

Rival drug groups are also challenging the region's Arellano Félix drug cartel and their traditional ties to certain police groups.


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Anna Cearley: (619) 542-4595; anna.cearley@uniontrib.com

People, we have been told over and over how dangerous it is in Mexico. What does it take for Americans to sit up and take notice of the danger to us in these foreign contries? I know we should have the right to go anywhere we want to in the world, we do have that right, we just need to be more aware there might be terrible consquences of the choices we make. Mexico is a brutal country and probably always will be.

Why didn't Nancy Grace exploit this story? This is the first I'd heard of this.