Tuxtepec News Article
April 11, 2005

Again, the Belongings of United States Tourists are Stolen

By Edwardo Cervantes Brava
Tuxtepec, Jalapa de Diaz, Oaxaca
April 11, 2005

They were doing studies referring to their religion
With the medical material they brought they have already saved one life

On Saturday afternoon the North Americans that are in the area of the skirts of the Hill Rabon in the community of Loma Cafetal in the municipality of Jalapa de Diaz were disappointed once again as they had two backpacks stolen by local thieves. The articles stolen included work related materials and medical instruments, some of which were for measuring cataracts and other diabetic related problems utilized by medical personnel.

Authorities of the municipal police department immediately activated a call to search for the unknown thieves which they looked for until after midnight, but their efforts to find the indicated thieves is not solved yet. So, for now they [the police] are having major difficulties in the short time they have to complete the case and hope for the briefest possible recovery of the stolen objects.

Because the twelve North Americans have contacts with landowners on Hill Rabon they are staying on the skirts of the hill and performing studies of a theological nature. This is without confirmation, but they express what we have said several days ago [in the respect to the thievery], and although they took precautions in a moment of carelessness the visiting thieves took the belongings among which were the medical instruments.

According to the details in this newspaper and the police of Jalapa de Diaz, the Americans had once before suffered the same thievery, including a portable computer. The uniform officers are sure that they will be able to find the thieves who they suspect are drug addicts. At any given moment they will find out who they are because they will sell the instruments for whatever amount they can because they only want money for their drugs.

It is worth mentioning that these Americans saved a life of a girl bitten by a venomous snake and they were willing to cooperate with the community about investigating vision problems arising from diabetes.

And for his part, the town Mayor Alvaro Rafael Rubio expressed that one way or another the rascals must be caught because it is embarrassing. "We had received the promise that the Americans would give a hand with examinations of vision of the population, but with the theft they can not do what they said."