Gunmen in Tijuana attempted to assassinate the city's next Director of Public Security Tuesday morning. According to the Border News Agency, the man is set to take over the post under the city's new mayor December 1st. KPBS reporter Amy Isackson has the story.
During his tenure as the president of the state's Citizen's Safety Council, Alberto Capella has strongly criticized local, state and federal officials for the lack of security in Tijuana. He's used his seat to denounce police corruption -- though always in broad terms -- and call attention to hundreds of kidnappings and murders in Tijuana.
This morning, Capella says his neighbors' barking dogs alerted him that 20 armed commandos were breaking into his home. Capella says he grabbed one of his bodyguard's rifles and started shooting. He says the gun battle lasted twenty minutes and, in the end, the house was pockmarked by more than 220 shots.
Capella lives about 100 yards from his neighborhood's police station. However, he says officers took thirty minutes to arrive.
Capella would not confirm the city's new mayor has named him Director of Public Security. Though, he speculated he may have been attacked because he's a candidate for the position.
Amy Isackson, KPBS News.
