Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has condemned the handling of the case involving Fernando, a five-year-old boy from the State of Mexico who was allegedly kidnapped and murdered over an unpaid debt of just 1,000 Mexican pesos, or about $50 in U.S. currency. The President stressed that the State of Mexico's Prosecutor's Office must undergo changes to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Speaking during a press conference, Sheinbaum confirmed that the State of Mexico Prosecutor's Office is investigating the incident and the alleged lack of immediate action by authorities after Fernando's mother sought help.
"What matters most is that this does not happen again, that when a mother asks for help from the authorities, she receives it promptly. The governor of the State of Mexico, Delfina Gómez, has been in direct contact with the family since the beginning, and they have our full support. Yesterday, the Security Secretary, Omar García Harfuch, also spoke with them," Sheinbaum said.
The case that shocked Los Reyes
The tragedy unfolded on July 28 in the town of Los Reyes when Fernandito was allegedly taken by acquaintances of his mother Noemí Gómez, who had lent her 1,000 Mexican pesos. According to Proceso, citing police investigators, the lenders arrived at the family's home to collect the debt. When the mother, who lives with a disability, was unable to pay, the suspects allegedly took her son as "collateral" for the loan.
The mother went to the State of Mexico's Prosecutor's Office and also reported the crime to municipal police, seeking her child's immediate return. Authorities opened a formal investigation, but Fernando was not rescued in time.
On August 4, police located the boy's body inside a sack in an advanced state of decomposition at a property in the Ejidal El Pino neighborhood. The location matched the one where witnesses said the child had been held. State prosecutors arrested three suspects identified as Ana Lilia N., her husband Carlos N., and their daughter Lilia N., who are believed to be the lenders involved in the kidnapping and murder. The residence was secured as part of the ongoing investigation.
⚠️ Se dictó prisión preventiva a los implicados en el homicidio del pequeño Fernandito. El caso paralizó la opinión pública al revelarse que el niño fue sustraído y asesinado por los sospechosos, después de que su mamá no pudo pagar una deuda.https://t.co/1ABsKrzeb4… pic.twitter.com/1ppFXIFRjo
— La Guardia Noticias (@LaGuardiaMX) August 9, 2025
A call for justice and accountability
The case has sparked widespread outrage in Mexico, not only for the brutality of the crime but also for the alleged delay in the authorities' response despite the mother's urgent pleas for help. Sheinbaum emphasized that ensuring quick and effective attention to such emergencies must be a priority for law enforcement agencies nationwide.
The president also assured that the federal government will support the State of Mexico in bringing justice to Fernando's family.
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