Break-in: House in La Lejona
Date: December 4, 2011
Time: 9:30 P.M.
Police Response: Not very prompt; the thieves had time to take property
Reported to Public Ministry: No
Neighborhood: La Lejona
Crime: Break in – Home
Police: Yes
Message: I was out of town. I have an alarm system. The thieves broke the frame to front door. The alarm system worked, but since neighbors and police did not respond right away the thieves had time to take a Blackberry that I only use in the US, a GPS and an IPod. By the time I discovered that the Blackberry was gone and reported the theft to AT&T I had a bill of $580.00 US dollars on the phone. I also had multiple expenses to repair the damage the thieves had done to the house.
Email Scam: Mugged in Madrid – Please Send Money
This scam email, which resulted from the hacking of a San Miguel resident’s address book, was making the rounds in the city as of 30 January 2012. It appeared on the Civil List and in the in-boxes of individuals.
——-
Bad situation … Help!!
Hello,
I’m sorry for this odd request because it might get to you too urgent but it’s
because of the situation of things right now.
I’m with family on vacation in Madrid, Spain, I know I didn’t mention anything about it to you but we are in trouble, we were mugged last night in an alley by a gang of thugs on our way back from shopping, one of them had a knife poking my neck for almost two minutes and everything we had on us including my cell phone, credit cards were all stolen, quite honestly it was beyond a dreadful experience for us but looking on the bright side we weren’t seriously hurt or injured and we are still alive so that is whats important.
I’ve reported to the cops here and canceled all our cards, it appeared I had acted quickly enough or they almost would have succeeded in cleaning out my bank account. I’m really having some difficulties clearing our hotel bills and also need to pick up a voucher ticket at the counter for us to catch a flight back home as soon as possible. All we need right now is $1,850.00, I’ll appreciate what you can give if not all. Please get back to me asap and I’ll advise on how to send it.
xx [first name of supposed sender]
Tailpipe Flameout Scam – Prologue To A Car Theft
We now have two separate reports that this scam has been worked in San Miguel. The first attempt was in late April 2009. The most recent attempt was in late December 2011.
April 2009: The target car had just parked at the mall at La Luciernaga when a highly polished red sedan pulled up beside it. Two young men got out of the sedan and approached the car’s driver. Obviously concerned, they told the driver (in good English) that fire was coming from the car’s tail pipe. Alarmed, the driver agreed to open the hood and to let the young men study the car’s manual in an effort to see what was wrong.
After an “examination” of the engine, they told the driver they could not fix the problem and that their recommendation was to call a tow truck and take the car to a local Auto Magic repair center. [Auto Magic is the brand name of an auto cleaning product sold in the US.]
The car, in fact, would not start, but the driver declined the young men’s suggestion, sent them away and called a known reputable towing service that took the car to the garage where it was normally serviced. At the garage, the driver was told that the car was fine – except for the cable the scammers had, in all probability, disconnected when they worked under the hood.
December 2011: While driving on Salida a Celaya, near Mega, the intended victim heard odd noises coming from the back of the car. A few moments later, another car, driven by a young man, apparently in his 20s, drove up close to the driver, motioning that there was a problem with the driver’s car.
Both drivers pulled onto the shoulder and the young man immediately jumped out. While the driver was still in the car, the young man, very much excited and speaking Spanish, indicated that flames were coming from the car’s tailpipe. He asked the driver to pop the hood and to step on the accelerator. The driver complied and the young man appeared to fumble under the hood. At which point, the driver turned off the engine, but found it impossible to remove the key from the ignition. Simultaneously, all of the dashboard warning lights lit up. The driver attempted to restart the car, but the motor would not turnover.
The driver then got out of the car and asked the young man what he had done. The young man claimed he had checked the oil and the battery cables. The driver was positive the young man was lying. Apparently, the young man knew he was under suspicion because he quickly got back in his car and took off.
On close inspection, under the hood, the driver discovered that the young man had disconnected the cable that powered the car’s computer. The driver re-connected the cable, the car started and the driver drove away.
But there was more to the story. Just before the young man took off, the driver spotted a second young man lying down in the front passenger seat and concluded that this scam was prologue to a car theft. Had the driver left the car unguarded for any reason, for example to get help, the two young men would have stolen the car by reconnecting the cable. With the key still locked in the ignition, they could have simply driven off.
Mugging in Colonia Independencia
Date: approx. October 19
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Colonia Independencia
Reported at Public Ministry: Yes
Neighborhood: Independencia
Crime: Mugging
Police: Yes – police arrived within 10-15 minutes
Message: I parked in front of my house to unload groceries. As I took grocery items from the trunk, a young adult male grabbed the purse that was on my arm. I pulled back and we played a bit of tug of war until, suddenly, he pulled very hard and sent me flying into the nearby empty lot–approx. 25 feet.
I sprained a toe, bruised my whole left side and cut and scraped my left arm. He ran, but then realized he might have hurt me quite badly and stopped and looked back. When he saw that I was getting up, he resumed running – with my purse.
Two days later, a man appearing to be in his 40’s contacted me. He had my purse and said he’d found it and wanted a reward. My wallet (with cash, credit cards, drivers license other business cards, etc.) was not in the purse. I presumed the man would return the following day and tell me he’d “found” my wallet, too; this happened to a friend just a few weeks earlier–also in front of my house. I discretely followed the man to his house, and then called the police. I believe this man knows more than he’s willing to say. To date, my wallet has not been returned.
Intruder Climbs Wall & Falls onto Terrace
Date: November 12
Time: approx. 8:30 p.m.
Reported: No
Neighborhood: Independencia
Crime: Break-in – terrace at house
Police: Yes. They arrived in 12-15 minutes after call
Message: I was watching TV with my mini doxie; we were sitting in a recliner next to a wall of glass with a glass door that was open to the 2nd floor terrace. Suddenly my dog jumped off my lap and ran through the door onto the terrace, barking as if something was wrong.
When he didn’t stop barking, I got up and looked. At first, I saw nothing obvious. But then I realized there was a man’s body laying flat about 2 1/2 feet to the left of the doorway. My first thought was, “dead body on my terrace!”
I turned the outside light on, and then the man (about 18-20 years old) stood up. I immediately shut the terrace door and locked it. The intruder then walked over to the corner, climbed the wall, grinned at me, waved, let himself down on the other side of the wall and disappeared from view.
My house has a very high outside wall. I never could have imagined anyone being able to climb over it. But, on inspection, I saw that a neighbor’s car was parked next to a telephone pole adjacent to my house and I imagine this young man was able to climb onto the car, shimmy up the telephone pole and over the lowest part of the wall. From there he would have been able to climb up onto the 2nd story terrace. It seems obvious that he was startled and fell when my dog began to bark. I think he lay still, hoping I wouldn’t see him.
My doxie was a hero that night.
Mugging in Santa Julia
Date: 26 October 2011
Time: 2:55 PM
Reported to Ministerio Publico: Yes
Neighborhood: Santa Julia
Crime: Mugging
Police: No
Message: I was walking from Col Santa Julia toward Centro in the afternoon when a young man came up from behind and grabbed my purse strap. I turned, tried to kick him and we both fell. He dragged me on the street before I let go. I sustained bruises.
I didn’t call the police because my phone was in my purse and the mugger stole the purse. People came out on the street when I screamed, but they would not call the police, however, one witness will testify against my attacker should the police catch him.
I have two friends who told me that they were attacked in Col. Independencia; they called the police. From the description of their attacker, I suspect that the man who attacked me may be the same person who attacked them; my friends told me that they believe their assailant lives in Col. Independencia. My friends also told me that, some time after the attack, a man contacted them, claimed to have found their purses in a field and asked for a propina.
Stolen Car Battery
Date: 11/16/11
Time: 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Reported at Ministerio Publico: No
Neighborhood: Centro
Crime: Break in – vehicle
Police: Yes — they arrived very quickly
Message: Between 1:30 and 4:00 p.m. on November 16th, the battery was stolen from a pick up truck parked on Quebrada between Umaran and Pila Seca. There have been multiple break-ins on this section of street over the last several months.
Bogus FedEx Email Installs Malware
An email purporting to come from FedEx has turned up in some San Miguel inboxes. Recipients are advised that a package meant for them was returned to the FedEx office because of problems with the address. In order to receive the package the recipient is directed to open an attachment, print the mailing label accompanying the attachment and come into the nearest FedEx office to pick up the package.
The attachment does not contain a mailing label. Instead, it contains a malicious .exe file, hidden inside a seemingly innocuous .zip file, which can install malware on the user’s computer. The malware modifies the registry on the recipient’s computer, connects to remote servers and downloads and installs additional malware. These bogus FedEx emails are written in poor English and the logic of the pitch is questionable, but the form of the email looks official. An example appears below.
Bogus FedEx Email
Subject: FedEx Invoice copy No60359
Your package has been returned to the FedEx office.
The reason of the return is – Incorrect delivery address of the package.
Attached to the letter mailing label contains the details of the package delivery.
You have to print mailing label, and come in the FedEx office in order to receive the packages.
Thank you.
FedEx Express Services.
Attached File:
FedEx_mailing_label_ID.S2950.zip
For additional information on this and other malicious emails see the following URL << http://www.hoax-slayer.com/fake-fedex-invoice-malware.shtml >>.
THE BILINGUAL AGENCY
CRIME REPORTING IN SAN MIGUEL – THE BILINGUAL AGENCY
On 1 March 2011, when the Bilingual Agency of the Public Ministry opened its doors in San Miguel, our city became the easiest place in Guanajuato, and arguably in all Mexico, for English-speakers to file official crime reports.
The establishment of the Bilingual Agency was an initiative on the part of Guanajuato’s Attorney General, Procurador General de Justicia, Carlos Zamarripa Aguirre. In collaboration with San Miguel’s mayor, Licenciada Luz María Nuñez Flores, our city was chosen as the new Bilingual Agency’s inaugural site and Attorney General Zamarripa announced the establishment of the Agency at a meeting of San Miguel’s Municipal Security Committee (MSC.)
During the Bilingual Agency’s seven-month maiden voyage, the MSC has received many laudatory reports from English-speakers about the streamlined crime reporting process that now exists in San Miguel. The Committee has also heard from English-speakers who, in the past, have “opted-out” of the crime reporting process because they believed their command of Spanish was insufficient to negotiate the system and they had not wanted to go to the expense of hiring a translator. English-speakers also have had the impression that reporting a crime is too time consuming, too complicated, overly bureaucratic and, in the end, does no good.
The information below is provided to up-date English-speakers on the latest development in crime reporting and help dispel some of their concerns about participation in the process. In compiling data for this article, the MSC interviewed English-speakers who have used the new procedures. The Committee also spoke with Licenciada Blanca Adriana Ramírez García, the bilingual attorney who manages crime reporting initiated via the Public Ministry’s new Bilingual Agency. (Technically, Licda. Ramírez is an “Agent” of the Public Ministry; agents of the Public Ministry are lawyers.)
First and foremost, Licda. Ramírez speaks clear and fluent English with first-rate comprehension. She comes to San Miguel with a wealth of experience as an attorney in the Public Ministry and with the interest, ability and patience to explain the intricacies of the Mexican judicial process to those for whom it is unfamiliar. She invites telephone inquiries (although the actual crime report must be made in person) and recommends, if possible, that individuals who wish to file a report call her before they visit the Public Ministry so that she can answer their questions, brief them on the process and otherwise prepare for their arrival.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LICDA. RAMIREZ
Office Address: San Francisco 23, Centro – To increase accessibility to the community, in early October 2011, the Public Ministry and the Bilingual Agency moved into Centro from the Procuradoría de Justicia del Estado (PJE.) building on the Salida a Querétaro. The new location is accessible to vehicular traffic and to pedestrians who live in or near Centro.
Phone: You can reach Licda Ramírez via the Public Minister’s main switchboard at 415-152-3606. Her extension is 48001. We will provide her direct line as soon as it is connected. When you call Licda Ramírez’s direct line, her bilingual secretary will usually take your call, but often Licda. Ramírez will answer the phone herself. Business hours are 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Saturdays. After hours, even if a crime report needs to be made very late at night, the switchboard will contact Licda. Ramírez and, if the report cannot wait until morning, she will come to her office to take it.
The Public Ministry is easy to find and, for English speakers, the establishment of the Bilingual Agency obviously erases language as a barrier to crime reporting. But, why report a crime in the first place? Here are some reasons.
REASONS TO FILE A CRIME REPORT
1. To Bring Criminals to Justice and Recover Losses: The sequence of events in criminal matters is this. If the Municipal Police, aka the Policía Preventiva (PP) picks up someone for public drunkenness or any other crime that is viewed as “victimless,” that person will have to pay a fine, or stay in detention for a maximum of 36 hours, depending upon the PP’s view of the offense. Such relatively minor cases are not reported to the Public Ministry. However, in serious cases, for example, if the PP makes an official arrest of someone they apprehended at the very moment of committing a crime (robbery, mugging, breaking and entering etc), they will immediately report the arrest to the Public Ministry and the arrestee can be held in detention on the Public Ministry’s authority for a maximum of 48 hours. At this point, while the 48 hours are running, the Public Ministry will start an investigation, but the Public Ministry will need the victim to come forward and make a crime report during those 48 hours. The time element is crucial because, by law, the Public Ministry has only those 48 hours to decide if the case is sufficiently strong to warrant submission to a judge for disposition. The Public Ministry will not take a case before a judge in the in absence of a crime report by a victim; without a victim, there is no crime to prosecute. If a victim does not come forward within the 48 hours, the arrestee will be set free after paying a fine.
No matter how many people know about it, or how many uniformed police officers have visited the crime scene, that crime does not become official until it is filed with the Public Ministry. This means, as noted above, that the perpetrator of a robbery or any other crime (even if caught and jailed) cannot be prosecuted unless the victim has reported the crime in person at the Public Ministry. There are extremely few exceptions to this rule; one is that if a victim has been hospitalized, the Public Ministry agent will take the report at the victim’s bedside. Generally, however, victims must document their losses, by making a crime report, if they ever hope to recover those loses and/or see the thief, or mugger or swindler brought to justice.
2. To Promote Crime Prevention: Reporting a crime to the Public Ministry contributes to crime prevention, a major goal for the San Miguel police. Perpetrators of crime have a propensity to operate in a single area they see as vulnerable. Frequently, the principal vulnerability is infrequent police patrols and, if repeatedly called to the same area because of criminal activity, the police will almost always respond positively to citizens’ requests to increase patrols there. That said, the police have heavy demands on their resources, time and personnel. If victims come to the police with copies of the crime reports they have made to the Public Ministry documenting criminal activity in the area, the reports will give the police an enhanced understanding of the situation and patrols are likely to remain in place for a prolonged period resulting in a decrease in crime.
3. To Help Fund San Miguel’sl Police: To a significant degree, the state government in Guanajuato apportions funding among the police departments in the municipalities based on the number of crimes reported to the Public Ministry offices that cover each municipality. Unreported crimes don’t make it into the statistics and, by definition, are not taken into consideration when the state of Guanajuato makes decisions on police department funding.
THE MECHANICS OF CRIME REPORTING
Reporting a Crime Via The Bilingual Agency Is Easy: Time permitting, it’s best to call ahead so that you can be briefed on the documents you will need to file the official report. They are the original and a copy of one form of your personal identification – a passport, a driver’s license or a visa document. (If you don’t have a copy of your ID, don’t worry; you are going to a business office; copy machines are available.) If you are reporting a robbery, bring proof that you owned the stolen item/s; for example, bring photos, serial numbers, receipts – so that the details of your losses can be entered into the official record. Bring as much documentation as you can lay your hands on – it will all help to build the case against the thief.
If your house was ransacked and you don’t yet know if anything was taken, bring a utility bill, a deed or a rental agreement, anything that proves you are the owner/resident of the house the perpetrator entered. At this point, provided you have furnished the minimal documentation described above, you will be able to sign and file the crime report.
Licda. Ramírez understands that often victims of a robbery do not know what was taken from their homes or offices when they first visit her office; their houses are in a mess and they have not had time to take an inventory of their possessions because, rightly, they have come to her immediately after the incident occurred. As per above, Licda. Ramírez doesn’t need specifics right away; a general idea of what might have been taken is enough for her to start the case. She will, however, need specifics within in 48 hours (see below for explanation) to go beyond the very preliminary casework. Technically, it isn’t considered a robbery unless the victim can tell her what has been taken; unless the victim returns with some kind of documentation within the 48 hours, she will have to drop the case for lack of evidence and, if anyone has been arrested, that person will be released.
After filing the report, Licda. Ramírez will return with you to the scene of the crime accompanied by an officer of the Ministry Police (Policía Ministerial, formerly called the Polícia Judicial) and, as needed, with a “scene of the crime officer” (Servicios Periciales – forensics) who will take fingerprints, etc. The Ministry Police officer will lead the investigation; Licda. Ramírez will follow every aspect of it and maintain contact with the victim throughout the legal process. As important developments occur, or when you, as the victim, ask for an update, she will provide all the information known as of that point in time. Such briefings take place within the Public Ministry and are given orally, face to face – never in writing. You must promise to keep the information confidential because leaked information could alert a suspect or otherwise endanger the case, but the Public Ministry’s guiding principle is that the victim or, in case of a murder, the chief mourner, has a right to know; no one else has that right.
Crime Reporting Is Not Always a Lengthy Process: Depending on the nature of the crime, it can take as little as 15 minutes to over an hour to file a crime report. It stands to reason that if the window of your car was broken it will take less time to make your report than it will to report a robbery where many items were taken and many documents supporting your proof of ownership must be entered into the record. In many cases all the necessary forms can be completed during your initial visit.
Follow-up Procedures After the Crime Report is Filed and the Suspect is in Custody:
As soon as Licda. Ramíez takes a crime report she notifies the PP and puts a hold on the suspect, assuming there has been an arrest. At this point, the Public Ministry has 48 hours to determine whether or not the information against the accused is strong enough to take the case before a judge – it is the judge’s role to decide whether or not to take the case to trial. If no decision is made before the 48 hours are up, the prisoner must be set free. If the Public Ministry opts to go to the judge, the judge has 76 hours to decide whether or not the suspect should be held for trial. If the judge makes no decision within the 76 hours, the prisoner must be freed. If the judge decides in the affirmative, the prisoner will be held for trial. If the matter is grave, like a murder, the prisoner will remain in jail until the trial. If the matter is not so grave, bail can be posted to guarantee the suspects appearance in court.
The above assumes that there has been an arrest, but what happens if a victim has reported a crime, but the perpetrator of that crime managed to escape before he/she could be arrested? In this situation, the Public Ministry will open an investigation on the basis of the victim’s crime report and, at some point, depending on the results of the investigation – strength of evidence, etc. – the Public Ministry will have to decide whether or not to take the case to a judge. The Public Ministry has no deadline to make its decision, because no one is being held in jail awaiting disposition.
Trial Procedures: Court procedures throughout Guanajuato changed as of 1 September 2011. Previously, all criminal procedures were in writing. The opposing lawyers wrote their arguments for the judge and he/she would review them as well as all documentary evidence. That is why everything had to be so fully, and some might say painfully, documented – every last detail had to be presented for examination in written form. Neither the accused nor the lawyers would be able to address the judge on the merits of the case.
After 1 September, the accused and the opposing lawyers present themselves before the judge. The accused will be asked if he/she would like to speak. The accused may elect to speak, or may decline. After the accused has spoken (or declined to speak), the opposing lawyers will be able to present their arguments, orally, to the judge. The details of how this new system will work are still being hammered out (there will, of course, still be written material concerning each case and a court reporter will provide transcripts of the proceedings), but the changes are expected to streamline legal procedures and, as a byproduct, help to clear the backlog of cases that developed because it typically took a long time for a judge to wade through all the paper work.
It is also now possible for certain cases to be settled out of court in negotiations between the prosecutor and the attorney for the accused.
Two Final Points:
1. Can a friend make a crime report for me?
In most cases only the victim can file a crime report with the Public Ministry, but there are exceptions. One common exception: Let’s say you walk past your neighbor’s house and see the door yawning open and signs of forced entry. You can tell something is wrong and want to report a probable theft, but you are not the victim; your absent neighbor is. First, you must call the police, then the Public Ministry. Then, you can go to the Ministry and file a crime report on behalf of the homeowner. You can also file a report if you are employed at the house, or if you are a house sitter.
2. We put the following question to Licda. Ramírez: If you could give the English speaking community in San Miguel one piece of advice regarding security/legal matters what would it be?
Her answer: “Don’t be so trusting. At the Ministry, I see many cases where employees have exploited the generous impulses of their English-speaking employers. As in any business relationship, the best way to reward an employee for excellent service is to raise his or her salary.”
Internal Revenue Service Email Scams
As April 15 draws near, be alert for emails that purport to come from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS.) The scam below has surfaced in San Miguel. If it, or others that are similar, pops up in your inbox, DO NOT open the attachment it contains. The attachment is a .zip file and will almost certainly contain a trojan. Delete the email from your inbox. You can learn more about email and other kinds of scams involving the IRS at this website << http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=155682,00.html >>.
The following is the IRS email scam that has surfaced in San Miguel, but there are other scam messages circulating that are similar.
Subj: Your Internal Revenue Service
Notice,
There are arrears reckoned on your account over a period of 2010-2011 year.
You will find all calculations according to your financial debt, enclosed.
You have to pay out the debt by the 17 December 2011.
Yours sincerely,
Internal Revenue Service.
Sanmiguelsecurity Crime Reports 