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3 people arrested in connection with murder of 2 Honduran migrant teens in Tijuana

Two men and a woman were detained Wednesday for the alleged abduction and murder of two Honduran teens in an attempted robbery.
Image: Esmeralda N., Carlos N., and Francisco Javier N. were arrested for the alleged abduction and murders of two Honduran boys, ages 16 and 17, on Dec. 15, 2018.
Esmeralda N., Carlos N., and Francisco Javier N. were arrested for the alleged abduction and murders of two Honduran boys, ages 16 and 17, on Dec. 15, 2018. Faces obscured by source. State of Baja California Prosecutors Office

Two men and a woman were detained Wednesdayin connection with the murder of two migrant teenagers during an attempted robbery in Tijuana, Mexico, authorities said.

Those arrested, identified as Esmeralda N., Carlos N., and Francisco Javier N., were wanted for the alleged abduction and murder of two Honduran boys, ages 16 and 17, on Saturday, according to a statement from Baja California state prosecutors in Mexico.

Authorities believe the two boys and a third male teen had left a children's migrant shelter in the city and were on their way downtown to another shelter when they were intercepted by criminals intending to rob them, according a statement from Tijuana Deputy Attorney General Jorge Alberto Albarez Mendoza.

One of the boys escaped. The bodies of the other two were found in an alley, bearing knife wounds and indications they were strangled, the attorney general's statement said.

The Honduran government confirmed in a statement that it had been informed by Mexican authorities that the deceased teens were from Honduras and said it was working to have their bodies returned home.

The murders reflect the danger that migrants face in the border city of Tijuana, including those who were part of a caravan that was politicized during the midterm congressional election in November.