Family rejects official claims of a fight, says victim was attacked by a group
Traffic along the Transpeninsular Highway was intermittently blocked Sunday evening in the coastal community of El Pescadero, south of Todos Santos, as residents renewed protests over what they describe as slow-moving and ineffective investigations into the violent beating of Saúl Castro Pérez, a local man who remains in critical condition.
The blockade began around 5:30 p.m. near Mile Marker 62, creating long lines of vehicles in both directions. It marked the second time in recent weeks that residents have shut down the roadway to pressure authorities, saying no suspects have been arrested nearly three weeks after the attack, which occurred in the early morning hours of December 26.
In a public statement circulated Sunday, Castro’s wife directly appealed to Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío, urging immediate action and rejecting earlier descriptions of the incident as a mutual fight. She said her husband was ambushed by at least nine people, leaving him with catastrophic injuries and no chance to defend himself.
According to the family, Castro suffered severe head trauma, skull and facial fractures, brain swelling and hemorrhaging, a fractured left arm with multiple fissures, and underwent emergency brain surgery. Doctors have warned of ongoing risk due to elevated intracranial pressure, and his condition remains life-threatening.
Protesters allege that the assault reflects a pattern of unchecked group violence in El Pescadero, particularly during community events, and accuse authorities of failing to act due to alleged influence and family connections tied to the attackers. Residents say attempts to file formal complaints have often been dismissed, discouraging victims from seeking justice and eroding trust in law enforcement.
Community members also criticized what they described as slow emergency response times, lack of patrol units, and recurring explanations that police lack fuel or available vehicles to cover El Pescadero and nearby Todos Santos.
State officials engaged in dialogue with demonstrators on Sunday, seeking to ease tensions and reopen the highway. Protest leaders said the blockades would continue until concrete results are delivered, including arrests and stronger security measures, arguing that public pressure has become the only way to draw meaningful attention to the case.
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