An unidentified man was found dead Monday morning next to an Oxxo convenience store in southern Tijuana, the apparent victim of a shooting and beating that occurred during the early morning hours.
The body was discovered in the Puerta Plata subdivision of Delegación Natura, a residential area in Tijuana’s southern corridor. Neighbors initially believed the man was sleeping inside a makeshift shelter he had constructed beside the store on Avenida Titanio. When authorities arrived, they determined he had been shot and beaten.
Victim Believed to Be a Transient
The victim appeared to be a transient who frequented the area around the Oxxo, according to initial reports. His identity has not been established. Municipal police, the National Guard, and state forensic investigators from the Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE, Baja California’s state attorney general’s office) responded to the scene.
The body was transferred to SEMEFO, the state forensic medical service, where it awaits formal identification. No arrests have been made, and investigators have not established a motive.
Violence in Tijuana’s Residential Areas
Delegación Natura sits in Tijuana’s expanding southern belt, an area of newer housing developments that has grown rapidly over the past decade. The neighborhood is far from the downtown tourist corridor and the border crossing areas more commonly associated with crime reports.
Tijuana recorded more than 1,500 homicides in 2024, making it one of Mexico’s most violent cities. While much of the bloodshed is linked to organized crime, street-level violence also affects residential neighborhoods across the city. The killing on Avenida Titanio is the latest reminder that crime in Tijuana is not confined to well-known hotspots.
The case remains under investigation by state authorities. This story was first reported by Punto Norte.