Beloved musician, his pregnant wife, daughter, 3, and family’s dog are all found slaughtered inside Mexico City home as horror details of killings are revealed
A well-known Mexican musician and his family were found bound with duct tape and shot dead alongside their pet dog in a gruesome massacre inside their luxury penthouse.
Jonathan Meléndez, 38, keyboardist for indie rock band Camilo Séptimo, his pregnant wife, their three-year-old daughter, nanny and family dog were all killed in the horrifying bloodshed at their home just outside Mexico City Tuesday night.
The couple’s six-year-old son was the sole survivor, who was found unharmed at the scene without any apparent injuries, prosecutors said in a statement.
Two men, Diego Sebastián ‘N’ and Gerardo ‘N,’ were arrested in connection with the killings shortly after, one of whom officials said was a business partner of one of the victims.
Grim details of the scene were laid bare by the State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office, revealing how the victims were found after police responded to the apartment in the affluent residential area of Atizapán de Zaragoza.
All four victims suffered fatal gunshot wounds, with three shot in the head and the fourth in the back, authorities said.
Meléndez and his wife, Ana Paola, 35, who was approximately four months pregnant, were found bound with duct tape, while their three-year-old daughter was shot in the head at close range, authorities said.
Aleida Romero Victorio, 21, who worked at the home as the family nanny, was also slaughtered in the massacre, her devastated family told CNN.
Mexican musician, Jonathan Meléndez, 38, and his family were found bound with duct tape and shot dead alongside their pet dog in a gruesome massacre Tuesday night
All four victims suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Meléndez and his wife, Ana Paola, 35, who was approximately four months pregnant, were found bound with duct tape
Two men, Diego Sebastián ‘N’ and Gerardo ‘N,’ were arrested in connection with the killings shortly after, one of whom officials said was a business partner of one of the victims
Meléndez was the keyboardist for indie rock band Camilo Séptimo. The group was due to perform next in Ciudad Juárez on September 19
‘She was a very hardworking and responsible girl who did not deserve for this to be done to her,’ her aunt, Lorena Victorio Cabrera, told the outlet.
Meanwhile, the family dog was found dead with its legs tied, according to the prosecutor’s office.
An investigation led police to believe the killings occurred between 5.30pm and 7.40pm on Tuesday.
Neighbors reported hearing shouts and gunshots, local media reported, before the bodies were discovered inside the penthouse shortly before midnight, Reuters reported.
The two men were arrested within 12 hours in a joint operation involving the State of Mexico Prosecutor’s Office, the federal Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection and the Mexico City Secretariat of Citizen Security.
Prosecutors identified Diego Sebastián ‘N,’ an associate of Meléndez, as the likely perpetrator after his arrest. Gerardo ‘N,’ the second suspect under investigation, had also been arrested previously.
Omar García Harfuch, secretary of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, said Sebastián ‘allegedly took advantage of this relationship of trust to gain entry to the residence.’
Meléndez was a keyboardist, composer and producer and a founding member of Camilo Séptimo, one of Mexico’s best-known indie rock bands. The group was due to perform next in Ciudad Juárez on September 19.
The couple’s three-year-old daughter was shot in the head at close range, authorities said. The 21-year-old family nanny was also killed. The couple’s pet dog was found dead with its legs tied
The secretary of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, said Sebastián ‘allegedly took advantage of this relationship of trust to gain entry to the residence’ (pictured: Meléndez)
Camilo Séptimo mourned Meléndez in a touching Instagram tribute, promising to remember him ‘with immense love and gratitude’
It rose to prominence as a major force in the country’s alternative music scene, building a devoted following with its atmospheric, synth-driven sound and emotionally charged songs about love and heartbreak.
They are particularly known for songs including ‘No Confíes en Mí,’ ‘Miénteme,’ ‘Vicio,’ ‘No Te Puedo Olvidar,’ ‘Inevitable,’ ‘Contacto’ and ‘Como Tú.’ They developed an international following through the years, touring the US, Spain and Latin America.
Camilo Séptimo mourned Meléndez in a touching Instagram tribute, promising to remember him ‘with immense love and gratitude.’
‘With profound sorrow, we bid farewell to our beloved brother Jonathan Samuel Meléndez Ochoa, Honas,’ they wrote.
‘Today we honor and celebrate his life, his music, his light, and what he shared with those of us who were fortunate enough to know him and journey with him.’
The band also extended its condolences to Meléndez’s family, friends and 21-year-old Romero during what it described as a time of ‘profound sadness.’
‘We commend the efforts and professionalism of the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Mexico in clarifying the facts,’ the group wrote.
‘In memory of Honas, his wife Ana Paula, and his beloved daughter, who will live forever in our hearts.’
The prosecutor’s office said further details about the killings and the legal status of the detainees would be revealed at the appropriate stage of the proceedings.
