Tijuana municipal police arrested three teenagers on May 7 after they allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint in the El Pípila neighborhood. The victim had traveled to the area to buy a vehicle but was instead confronted by three armed suspects who stole cash and personal belongings.
According to the Tijuana Municipal Secretariat of Citizen Security and Protection (SSPCM), the victim arrived at a meeting point in El Pípila to complete a car purchase. While waiting, three individuals wearing dark clothing intercepted him. One wore a hoodie and the other two wore black T-shirts. The trio threatened the victim with what appeared to be a firearm and took his money and personal items.
Suspects Tracked Down on Nearby Street
After the robbery, the three suspects fled toward Calle Benito Juárez. Officers responding to the call tracked them to Calle Prolongación Guerrero, where they detained Cristian Alonso, 16, along with Javier and Eliezer Ernesto, both 17.
Police recovered the victim’s stolen belongings at the scene. They also seized the weapon used in the crime: a CO2-powered air pistol, not a real firearm. The suspects had presented the air gun as a genuine weapon during the holdup.
Minors Transferred to State Prosecutor’s Office
All three minors were transferred to the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) for processing on charges of robbery with violence. Under Mexican law, suspects aged 14 to 17 face proceedings through the juvenile justice system rather than adult courts.
El Pípila sits in Tijuana’s central zone, east of the Zona Centro tourist district. The neighborhood is part of a dense urban corridor where vehicle transactions between private parties are common. Buyers and sellers in Tijuana often arrange to meet in person after connecting through online classifieds, a practice that occasionally leads to set-up robberies like the one reported here.
The use of replica or air-powered weapons in street robberies is a recurring tactic in Tijuana. While the guns lack lethal force comparable to real firearms, victims have no way to distinguish them during an encounter, and the legal consequences for perpetrators can be similar.
This incident was first reported by Jornada BC and confirmed by Tijuana en Línea.