Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

An elderly lawyer has been arrested for shooting his almost six decades younger former gymnast wife dead in a row at a restaurant.

The man, aged 79, is accused of fatally shooting his 21-year-old wife Yrma Lydya Gamboa, who is also a singer of traditional Mexican songs, in a private room in the Suntury restaurant in the borough of Benito Juarez in Mexico City on 23rd June.

According to reports, the couple became embroiled in a row in the private room and the elderly man shot his young wife three times in the chest.

The suspect, identified as lawyer Jesus Hernandez Alcocer, then fled the scene with a 46-year-old woman accompanying him.

The pair tried to escape in a luxury car, but were quickly detained by officers of the Ministry of Citizen Security (SSC).

SSC spokesperson Omar Garcia Harfuch confirmed that the singer died after sustaining three shots to her chest during the row.

Gamboa, called the “new star of Mexican music” on her Instagram bio, recently performed with the popular group GranDiosas during their tour.

The young victim, who performed and recorded traditional Mexican music, recently posted images of her performance on social media.

She previously said in an interview with Carmen Salinas that she was interested in music from a very early age and was an artistic gymnastics champion as a child.

It is unclear what the couple was arguing about before the elderly lawyer allegedly shot his wife dead.

The femicide investigation into Gamboa’s killing is ongoing.