A judge in the State of Mexico formally charged the mayor of Metepec, Fernando Flores, with abuse of authority. The events that led to the charges occurred on June 4 at the La Asunción Sports Club, a property the mayor allegedly entered by force, accompanied by armed bodyguards.
After the initial hearing held in the Almoloya de Juárez judicial district courts, the mayor stated in a brief interview that he does not intend to step down from his public duties. “I’m still mayor,” he reiterated, formally ruling out a request for a temporary leave of absence to face the legal proceedings.
Subsequently, through his official social media channels, Flores expressed his respect for the ruling issued by the jurisdictional authority and stated that he would exercise his legal rights. He also clarified that the judicial decision does not interrupt his constitutional powers nor alter his work schedule as mayor of Metepec.
Likewise, the judicial authority set a two-month period for the supplementary investigation, establishing September 3 as the deadline for its conclusion.
During the hearing, it was revealed that the events stemmed from a prior family dispute within the sports club, where the mayor’s brother requested his assistance via text message.
According to the official records, the mayor arrived at the residential and sports complex around 8:55 a.m. in his capacity as an active public servant. Testimony gathered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office indicated that Flores explicitly presented himself as the highest municipal authority, supported by bodyguards assigned to the Metepec Public Security Directorate.
In deciding whether to proceed with the case, the judge determined that there was sufficient evidence to presume that the mayor used local public funds and personnel for personal gain by directly ordering two members of the police force to force entry onto the private property.
