The tragedy occurred in Los Reyes La Paz, State of Mexico, where a five-year-old boy, identified as Fernando, was killed after being kidnapped for non-payment of a debt of 1,000 pesos (US$50).
The body was found hidden in plastic bags inside a house in the Ejidal El Pino neighborhood, in an advanced state of decomposition and now his mother is demanding justice; the case has shocked the entire country.
How did Fernandito’s crime occur?
On July 28, three people known to the family came to the home of the 5-year-old Fernando to demand payment of 1,000 pesos, a debt the boy’s mother owed them.
When they did not get the money, they took the child with the promise to return him once the debt was settled.
Days later, the mother, who has a disability that hinders her communication, began a desperate search, visiting neighborhoods and ministerial agencies without receiving immediate support.
It was not until August 4, when he finally filed a complaint for unlawful deprivation of liberty, that the authorities intervened.
Agents entered the property and, guided by a foul odor, found Fernandito inside bags in a room of the property.
Arrests and collective indignation
At the moment, three people are known to be detained: Carlos “N”, Ana Lilia “N” and Lilia “N” -mother and daughter-, under suspicion of kidnapping and homicide.
They were taken to the Nezahualcoyotl prison (Neza Bordo) and will be presented before a judge.
In response to the crime, neighbors and family members held vigils outside the Justice Center and placed a memorial near the site, with candles, flowers and a reconstruction of the boy’s face created by artificial intelligence.
The community demands justice for Fernandito and that this case does not go unpunished.
Mother Noemí’s voice: a heartbreaking plea
The mother, Noemí, expressed her demand with pain and courage: “I just want justice for my child, I don’t want this to go on like this”.
Her lawyer, Fabiola Villa, denounced that the people responsible took advantage of Noemi’s vulnerability, using her disability to pressure her and cause her irreparable harm.
“It was with violence […] I want to be very clear, the mother has a disability but the child was always treated with love, even though she was a single mother. These people abused that disability to take the child away from her and force her to pay,” she assured.
Según varios medios de comunicación, el resultado de la autopsia a Fernandito apunta a que sufrió maltrato, no le dieron de comer y fue golpeado con un objeto que le provocó una fractura craneoencefálica
Call for help
This case represents a call to make visible situations of extreme violence and how they affect the most vulnerable victims, including minors. Many Latino families may feel challenged by the cruelty of the facts.
The delay or denial of care by authorities generates a sense of helplessness that transcends borders; it resonates among those who live in the U.S. and maintain ties to their countries.
The case of Fernando, a 5-year-old boy murdered for an absurd debt of 1,000 pesos, shocked Mexico and the entire Hispanic community.
His mother, a disabled woman, firmly demands that “this should not be allowed to stand,” while neighbors call for justice.
Three people were arrested and the case is under formal investigation.
The drama is a devastating reminder of the vulnerability of the very young and the urgency of an effective and humane institutional response.
Here is the heartbreaking testimony of Fernandito’s mother.
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.