An atmosphere of deep shock prevails in the State of Mexico following the revelation of details regarding the planning and execution of the mass killing of Jonathan Meléndez—keyboardist for the band Camilo Séptimo—along with his pregnant wife, their three-year-old daughter, and their domestic worker. The murders took place inside their apartment in the exclusive Grand Viure gated community in the Zona Esmeralda area of Atizapán.
Investigations by the State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office (FGJEM) point directly to Diego Sebastián “N,” the musician’s business partner. He allegedly orchestrated the attack days in advance, driven by a financial dispute involving cash and cryptocurrency.
According to the investigation, the alleged attacker set the stage by asking an accomplice, identified as Gerardo, to obtain industrial adhesive tape, black gloves, and plastic zip ties. He offered Gerardo a large sum of dollars to accompany him to the home, initially without revealing his lethal intentions.
THE MODUS OPERANDI: GAINING ENTRY THROUGH DECEPTION AND SUBDUING THE FAMILY
It was 5:24 PM on September 1st when Diego Sebastián entered the building. Recognized as the musician’s regular business partner, he was granted access to the home by Ana Paola—Meléndez’s wife, who was 35 years old and four months pregnant—unaware of the tragic outcome that awaited them.
Once inside, the attacker subdued the woman and the three-year-old girl, forcing them into the master bedroom’s bathroom. There, they were bound and killed by gunshots to the head, while the family dog was muzzled to prevent it from barking.
The domestic worker, identified as Aylen Romero, was killed moments later in the service area, while the couple’s six-year-old son managed to survive by hiding under a bed after hearing the gunshots.
THE MUSICIAN’S ARRIVAL AND THE USE OF A SILENCED WEAPON
Minutes later, Jonathan Meléndez arrived at the apartment to find his associate waiting for him in the living room. Following a heated argument over an alleged debt of 300,000 pesos, the musician unsuccessfully tried to contact his wife; at that point, he was subdued, bound, and executed right there on his own living room sofa.
Forensic analysis indicates that the assailant used a 9mm pistol equipped with a silencer—a device that has not been recovered. This explains why no neighbors in the complex heard any gunshots, even though the crime unfolded over a period of more than two hours, between 5:30 PM and 7:40 PM.
The breakthrough in solving the case came from an alert issued by a friend whom Meléndez had told about the meeting, combined with a blunder by Gerardo—the accomplice—who had left his driver’s license at the security checkpoint while waiting outside.
SWIFT ARREST AND THE GRIEF OF THE BEREAVED
Thanks to elevator security footage—showing Diego Sebastián wearing a cap, sunglasses, and a backpack—and the tracking of a vehicle’s license plate, federal and state forces led by the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) captured the two suspects less than 12 hours after the bodies were discovered.
While the alleged perpetrators remain in custody awaiting the formal execution of arrest warrants for aggravated homicide, the victims’ families received the remains in the early hours of the morning to hold funeral services in Tlalnepantla and Chalco.
The surviving son has been placed in the care of authorities and is receiving specialized psychological support, while the State of Mexico Prosecutor’s Office is pursuing multiple lines of investigation to determine if other accomplices were involved in the massacre.
