A 44-year-old man was found beaten and abandoned on the highway to Los Planes on Monday night after being kidnapped from a La Paz neighborhood, according to local authorities.
The victim, identified only as Aldo, told investigators he was grabbed by unknown assailants in the Colonia Península Sur neighborhood on the south side of La Paz. His attackers forced him into a vehicle and covered his face during the ride, preventing him from identifying either the men or the car they used.
Aldo was discovered near Rancho El Ancón, a rural area along the two-lane highway that connects La Paz to the small farming and fishing community of Los Planes, roughly 45 kilometers southeast of the city center. The highway passes through largely empty desert terrain once it leaves La Paz’s urban edge.
Victim Hospitalized With Fractured Rib, Facial Injuries
Paramedics responded to the scene and transported Aldo in “yellow code,” a triage classification indicating a serious but non-life-threatening condition. He was taken to Hospital General Juan María de Salvatierra, La Paz’s main public hospital on the city’s malecón.
Medical staff confirmed a fractured second rib on his right side, a deviated nasal septum from blunt force trauma, and multiple contusions across his body. Doctors classified the full set of injuries as non-life-threatening.
Victim’s Truck Found Damaged on Nearby Side Road
Investigators also located Aldo’s vehicle, a white 2003 Ford Ranger pickup, on a dirt road near the spot where he was dumped. All four tires had been damaged, and the truck showed body damage throughout. It was not immediately clear whether the attackers used Aldo’s own vehicle during the kidnapping or damaged it separately.
Aldo told authorities he could not identify his attackers or explain a motive for the assault. Investigators have opened a formal case and are working to identify suspects.
The Colonia Península Sur neighborhood where the kidnapping reportedly took place sits on La Paz’s southern periphery, an area of mixed residential and commercial development between the Fidepaz and El Centenario corridors.
This incident was first reported by Colectivo Pericú.