A hooded gunman shot and killed a rideshare driver inside a Medellín nightclub early Monday morning, triggering a chaotic street chase that ended with police capturing two suspects.
elcolombiano.com reported that the attack took place inside La Cura, a venue located at Calle 47A with Carrera 98 in the San Javier sector of Comuna 13. The victim, 28-year-old Sergio Álvarez Jiménez, known locally as Mello, died at the scene from five gunshot wounds.
- The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday at La Cura.
- After the shooting, patrons rushed the gunman, stripped him of his firearm, and forced him to flee through a complex sequence involving three different motorcycles.
- Metropolitan Police of the Aburrá Valley tracked the suspects via security cameras and arrested two men, seizing a Glock 19 pistol and three motorcycles.
According to elcolombiano.com, the assailant bypassed venue security by deceiving a guard at the entrance. Witnesses stated that the metal detector sounded as the man walked through, but he claimed the beep was caused by a screwdriver, which he handed over to staff.
When asked to remove his hooded jacket, the suspect refused, muttered that he was just taking a quick walk around, and stepped inside with a concealed firearm. elespectador.com noted that the shooting unfolded on the second floor of the establishment at approximately 3:31 a.m.
After firing five shots into Álvarez Jiménez near the bar, the gunman tried to flee on a black motorcycle parked outside, but the engine failed to start. This mechanical failure gave enraged patrons enough time to swarm the attacker, assault him physically, and disarm him.
Despite the crowd’s attempt to intervene, the suspect broke free, hopped onto the back of an accomplice’s motorcycle, and later switched to a third vehicle to evade capture. Metropolitan police tracked these movements through municipal security cameras and established a rapid roadblock.
Authorities intercepted the third motorcycle shortly after the escape, arresting 24-year-old Brandon Borja Piedrahita and 23-year-old Juan Manuel Rivas Palacio. Police confiscated three motorcycles and a Glock 19 pistol equipped with an 11-round magazine containing nine-millimeter cartridges, as reported by elespectador.com.
| Suspect | Age | Recorded Criminal Background |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Borja Piedrahita | 24 | Firearm possession, extortion, aggravated theft, simple kidnapping |
| Juan Manuel Rivas Palacio | 23 | None recorded |
Investigators are examining whether the homicide stems from territorial disputes among local criminal networks operating within Comuna 13. elcolombiano.com noted that the victim held a prior homicide record dating back to December 25, 2016, though law enforcement officials emphasize that this retaliatory motive remains unconfirmed.
