CHINCHA ALTA, ICA REGION, PERU – MAY 6, 2026 25-year-old César Flores Barrutia, known by the nickname “Max,” was shot in broad daylight on Avenida Pedro Moreno. A gunman attacked the motorcyclist at close range and continued firing even after the man had fallen to the ground from his wounds. The shooter then fled the scene on a motorcycle with an accomplice. Police recovered more than ten shell casings at the scene.
According to media reports, Flores Barrutia was involved in lending money. Investigators are therefore looking into the possibility that the murder was related to a dispute over control of informal loans known as “gota a gota.”
That same day, police detained two Venezuelan citizens, Andrea Estefanía Maldonado Rojas, 29, and Leonardo José Alzuro Canelo, 25. According to police, they were found outside San José Hospital, where Flores Barrutia had been taken after the shooting.
One of the suspects
During the operation, officers seized handguns and ammunition, mobile phones, thousands of cards related to “gota a gota” loans, and two motorcycles. According to investigators, one of them was used in the murder. Police also announced that they had dismantled a group that, according to the investigation, had allegedly extorted small business owners through illegal loans.
