Investigators discovered two bodies bound and gagged at a property in the Arroyo Santa Catarina area of San Felipe on July 1, following a nearly ten-hour search linked to the disappearance of a mother and her adult daughter.
The FGE (Fiscalía General del Estado, Baja California’s state attorney general’s office) deployed its Specialized Unit on Forced Disappearances to execute the search warrant. Alma Valeria Mendoza Luzanía, 40, and her daughter Jatziry Aracely Salazar Mendoza, 21, had been missing since June 19, when they were last seen at their home in the coastal town.
Search Collective Confirmed Likely Deaths
Before the raid, the search collective “Tu Madre Sigue en la Lucha, Birzavit Román” confirmed it believed both women were dead. The collective, one of several citizen-led groups that track disappearances across Baja California, played a central role in publicizing the case and pressing for an official investigation.
The two bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition. Both had been bound and gagged, pointing to a violent crime. Official identification remains pending while forensic analysts complete their work, but the collective has stated it believes the remains belong to the missing women.
San Felipe’s Expat Community on Alert
San Felipe sits on the Sea of Cortez about 120 miles south of the U.S. border at Calexico. The town is home to a sizable expat and retiree community, and it draws weekend visitors from across Southern California and Arizona. Violent crime in San Felipe remains relatively uncommon compared to larger cities in Baja California, but this case has raised alarm in the small community.
The fact that both women disappeared from their own residence and were found at a separate property within the same municipality points to a targeted attack. The FGE has not announced any arrests or named suspects in the case.
Citizen Search Groups Fill Gaps
Baja California has dozens of search collectives formed by families of the disappeared. These groups often locate remains and push authorities to act on cases that might otherwise stall. The Birzavit Román collective operates across the state and has been involved in multiple high-profile searches in recent years.
The FGE’s investigation is ongoing. Forensic results confirming the identities of the two bodies are expected in the coming days, according to reporting by Punto Norte.