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Well, we were bound to be in the line of fire eventually here. A couple guys in a CA plated car ditched their car mid-street at the disability access point in front of our house and ran for the beach firing over their shoulders at a Municipal Police car in pursuit. Unfortunately the police parked in front of our house and took cover behind it. Luckily it was a handgun or our house would have been "scarfaced". The two men ran around the Playa Bonita condo towers and out the other way.

Alonzo was hiding in the bunker/bathroom within seconds of hearing gunfire (the authentic Mexican reaction). I numbly sat on the PC and watched it unfold in real time. Strangely the event did not bother me. That means it's time to go home to CT for a few years while Baja sorts this crime problem out. What a shame.



Police exchanging gunfire with suspects firing on them from the beach.



Police taking cover behind patrol unit:

Wow, that's a whole different kind of 'Baja Feeling' than most of us want!

I'm glad that my part of Baja is much less a war zone than your part!! It may be wise to follow Alonzo's lead next time! Stay safe!!

Scary ... yep, I'd have been in the "bunker" with Alonzo. Keep your head down, Woooosh.

Originally Posted by David K

Wow, that's a whole different kind of 'Baja Feeling' than most of us want!

It's a shame some parts of Baja are having problems. The wonderful places you explore and write about are what Baja is all about and how we want Baja to remain in our minds. That Baja is why we moved here, even if we never get to drive the length of Baja to see it all.

After the shootout our phone was ringing off the hook from neighbors calling to find out what went on and make sure we were fine. The incoming mayor of Rosarito Beach lives around the corner and the Police Commandante lives two streets over. I can't imagine they want things to stay this way.

I still think it's safe for tourists to come down for the day- follow the US Sate Department Travel guidelines though. The risks of living here and visiting here for the day are very different.

You think we were better off six months ago when they parked 5 tons of weed at our door?

Say, was there a "concession" involved ...

Dang Woooosh..... Its the wild west down there. Keep your head down!

Originally Posted by Woooosh

You think we were better off six months ago when they parked 5 tons of weed at our door?

Was it your birthday?

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Was it your birthday?

Well, it was Valentines Day. Every party has a pooper...

We have all heard that old saying WHY ME LORD
And the LORD Replied.
1. Remember the Truck load of Marijuana
2. Remember Tila
3 Remember the Shoot Out
I SENT YOU 3 MESSAGES.

Originally Posted by Churro

Dang Woooosh..... Its the wild west down there. Keep your head down!

The event was almost surreal. I watched it unfold in real time with complete detachment as if it were a video game. That's not good and it bothers me that I've come to accept this level of insecurity and violence. But you can't keep your head down forever. I'm sure there are places as bad in the USA to live where these things also happen regularly, but I wouldn't retire there either. If we thought there were signs of improvement, we would be encouraged and stick it out, but all the signs are pointing the other way.

Not that it matters, but if the owners of the "2013 San Diego Home of the Year" bail out of Rosarito Beach from the constant violence, it's a much harder sell getting newbie expats to move here.

Originally Posted by J.P.

We have all heard that old saying WHY ME LORD
And the LORD Replied.
1. Remember the Truck load of Marijuana
2. Remember Tila
3 Remember the Shoot Out
I SENT YOU 3 MESSAGES.

Yes you did. We heard you and the chorus of other voices at number 1. We're working on it. But be careful JP. There are people who will attack you for saying Rosarito Beach is unsafe and they get very ugly about it.

The only problem with the story below is it's not totally true from what I saw. There were only two men running from the car, not three. Neither was wearing those clothes. They also didn't catch them near here. Rosarito has a current problem in underreporting crime stats- but why make this story up and accuse these three guys when there were only two involved? Arresting innocent people doesn't make Rosarito safer, quite the opposite. They fooled no one this time.

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ROSARITO, Baja California(PH) - Durante una persecución, agentes de la policía municipal fueron baleados por tres sujetos a quienes los uniformados habían marcado el alto en la colonia Lucio Blanco y finalmente detuvieron en el fraccionamiento Villas del Mar, cuando habían ya bajado del carro en que viajaban e intentaban huir a pie.

La amenaza a los policías ocurrió al filo de las 22:30 horas en la parte Centro Norte de Rosarito, cuando al ver que viajaban en un carro tipo Sabre con placas para California a exceso de velocidad y sin respetar las señales de tránsito les marcaron el alto, pero fueron ignorados.

En su huida y persecución, los presuntos infractores tomaron la carretera escénica con dirección a Ensenada, volviendo a Rosarito por la calle Ensenada y de ahí pasar hasta la colonia Villas del Mar.

A ésta altura se sumaron más patrullas a la persecución, deteniendo el carro los perseguidos en la calle Paseo del Mar e iniciando la huida hacia el Norte, sobre la Zona Costa, con los policías tras sus huellas.

En un momento, uno de los perseguidos, sacó de entre sus ropas una pistola tipo revólver color negro calibre .357 magnum y con la que hizo tres disparos hacia los uniformados, sin lesionar a ninguno.

Al verse perdidos, los tres sujetos, Gerardo Noriega, Eduardo Vázquez y Jorge Alberto Ruiz, de 45, 42 y 37 años de edad, decidieron tirarse al piso y entregarse a los policías, que los esposaron y entregaron al agente del Ministerio Público.

http://www.frontera.info/EdicionEnLi...rsecucion.html

ROSARITO, Baja California - During a police pursuit, municipal police were shot at by three subjects whom the police had ordered to stop in colonia Lucio Blanco, and finally arrested them in the Villas del Mar subdivision, when they had gotten out of the car they were in and tried to flee on foot.

The threat to the police happened at 10:30PM in the North-Central part of Rosarito, when upon seeing they were speeding in a Sabre with California license plates and ignoring traffic signals, they were ordered to pull over, but ignored the order.

In their flight and pursuit, the criminals took the Scenic Highway heading for Ensenada, and then returned to Rosarito on calle Ensenada and from there fled to colonia Villas del Mar.

While there, more police patrol vehicles joined the pursuit, stopping their car on calle Paseo del Mar and they started to flee North on the beach, with the police right on their heels.

At that moment, one of those being pursued took a black .357 Magnum revolver pistol from his clothing and shot three times at the police, without injuring anyone.

Seeing they lost the chase, the three suspects, Gerardo Noriega, Eduardo Vázquez and Jorge Alberto Ruiz, 45, 42 and 37 years of age, decided to drop to the ground and surrender to the police, who handcuffed them and took them to the Public Minister.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

but why make this story up and accuse these three guys when there were only two involved? Arresting innocent people doesn't make Rosarito safer, quite the opposite. They fooled no one this time.

Could it be possible that the authorities are keeping reporters at a distance, leaving them to extrapolate news from scanty detail?

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Could it be possible that the authorities are keeping reporters at a distance, leaving them to extrapolate news from scanty detail?

They could at least get the time and number of suspects right. Reporters? They do the perp walk and take the photos. That's about it for reporting. Why research news you can't print? Do you think Hugo Torres allows the truth printed in his "Ecos" newspaper (the only one in town)? Doubtful.

Things don't seem much better down your way in in Ensenada lately.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

Things don't seem much better down your way in in Ensenada lately.

What about El Vigia and El Mexicano? Aren't they up there as well?
El Vigia seems to be somewhat forthcoming with news, but El Mexicano continues to be the PRI apologist.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

What about El Vigia and El Mexicano? Aren't they up there as well?
El Vigia seems to be somewhat forthcoming with news, but El Mexicano continues to be the PRI apologist.

They did report it Dennis. The report didn't match the crime, that's all. Who expects the press to be accurate anywhere?

Originally Posted by Woooosh

They could at least get the time and number of suspects right. Things don't

So the Rosarito cops just picked up some Jackwagon walking down the street and threw him into the photo session???

Originally Posted by Teniente

So the Rosarito cops just picked up some Jackwagon walking down the street and threw him into the photo session???

The "judicial" system currently works on forced/coerced confessions. No one was hit by a bullet, no drugs were found in the car - no blood, no foul. I didn't see the .357 Magnum in the photo- and they ALWAYS show the gun. Looks like the story was a day later too. IMHO, these three guys just were picked up for something minor, were asked to "pose" for the picture and were probably let go right afterwards. That's often the way it works, at least until the open court judicial reforms kick in.

Rosarito obviously wanted to show someone there was a crime report and story about this incident, even if it didn't match the facts. I'm sure there are shootouts every day that don't get mentions.

Wooosh... Do you think you would retire farther south in Baja? Maybe cash in on your home and move to south or central Baja??

Where do you live Dennis? safe there?

I only ask because I have always wanted to have a SECOND home down there some day. I dont think I would retire down there full time... but i am only 48

I have been going down to Baja since I was a kid... I remember when San Filipe had one stop light and it was on wheels, it had an extension cord running from the liquor store to the center of the street where they parked it.... those were the days!