Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency: Newsflash
An elite cop has gunned down and killed his girlfriend and a trans woman before killing himself during a stand-off with the police.
The shocking incident happened in the city of La Plata in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires on 10th May.
The police were called to the victim’s house in the Los Hornos neighbourhood after locals heard several gunshots coming from the property of one of the victims, named in reports as Florencia Sandoval, 23.
Local sources said she was dating local cop Juan Ignacio Soto, 23, who was part of the elite Tactical Unit of Immediate Operations (UTOI).
Agents arrived at the scene and found Florencia on the ground near her house with several bullet wounds on her back.
They also found a second victim reported to be a trans woman named Cielo De Lucca, 20.
Eyewitnesses told the police that Ignacio Soto was seen driving a white Volkswagen Gol car after the incident.
A car chase followed which led officers to the home of the suspect’s parents.
Local newspaper Infobae said Ignacio Soto entered the house before the police could detain him and locked himself inside the bathroom where he turned the gun on himself.
The authorities broke into the bathroom after hearing a gunshot and found that the 23-year-old had apparently shot himself in the head and was badly injured but still alive.
He was taken to the Hospital San Martin but was pronounced dead minutes after arriving.
Infobae said Florencia lived under constant threat as Ignacio Soto threatened to kill her two children, which she had from a previous relationship, if she ever left him or did not do what he asked.
The authorities are investigating the crime but initial theories say Ignacio Soto had gone to the residence targeting Florencia and killed Cielo De Lucca simply because she was there, possibly because she tried to defend her.
De Lucca was a friend of Florencia as she lived in the same area and was visiting her at the time.
The investigation is ongoing.
