A TikTok star and her family were discovered brutally slain in Mexico, found inside a pickup truck.
Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, 32, her spouse Roberto Carlos Gil Licea, 36, their 13 year old lad Gael Santiago, and seven year old daughter Regina were found dead in a deserted grey Ford Ranger in Guadalajara, Jalisco, last Friday. Mexican authorities only confirmed the victims' identities yesterday.
The family had moved to the Guadalajara metropolitan region for employment just months earlier. Roberto was involved in vehicle trading and also participated in tomato cultivation in Michoacan state.
Officers are suggesting that the shocking murders may be linked to his commercial activities.
Recognised online as Esmeralda FG, she had gathered tens of thousands of followers across social media platforms, especially on TikTok using the username @esmeraldafg222. She was recognised for posting lifestyle and travel material, but also drew notice for her clips miming to "narcocorrido" drug ballads, reports the Mirror US.
Some of her most controversial uploads featured provocative statements like "advantages of having a narco boyfriend," accompanied by drug ballads, some alluding to the Beltrán Leyva cartel. Her last upload, from August 7, attracted over 100,000 views, whilst other clips have reached more than 600,000 visits.
The influencer showcased her lavish lifestyle in her videos, parading luxury brands such as Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, and Versace, along with exclusive holiday destinations and high-end cars. She also posted clips featuring her children and her Pomeranian dogs.
Investigators were able to trace part of the pickup's route using CCTV footage, which led them to a local mechanic's shop. Prosecutor Alfonso Gutierrez Santillan stated, "The scene was processed, and investigators found multiple pieces of evidence suggesting the family was killed there.
"While the forensic results are not yet in, ballistic and blood evidence almost certainly confirm they were murdered at that location."
Two men who were present at the workshop were brought in for questioning but were subsequently released due to insufficient evidence.
After leaving the prosecutor's office, they met up with two other individuals who had been waiting for them, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Shortly after, gunmen intercepted the group and forcibly abducted three of them, while one managed to escape. The three missing men remain unaccounted for, and officials are searching for the fourth to obtain his testimony.
Prosecutor Blanca Trujillo said, "Investigations show the perpetrators had been watching the exit for over two hours. "It wasn't an immediate attack - they waited until the group had moved a few meters before carrying out the abduction. ".
The brutal murder of a family comes amidst a wave of violence sweeping across Mexico, with many victims being performers of the narco corridos drug ballads. Earlier this month, the music industry was rocked by the death of Ernesto Barajas, the lead singer of the popular group Enigma Norteno.
The band, famed for their songs glorifying cartels and boasting around four million monthly listeners on Spotify, suffered a devastating loss when their frontman was brutally gunned down. The attack took place in the municipality of Zapopan, located in the state of Jalisco, carried out by two individuals on a motorbike.
Authorities have since initiated an investigation into the incident.