Police chief shot in central Mexico city of Cuernavaca

MEXICO CITY – Armed attackers shot to death the acting police chief in the central Mexico city of Cuernavaca, a once-tranquil tourist destination just south of Mexico City, city officials said Friday.

The killing late Thursday was the latest in a series of violent events that have marred the city’s reputation as a lush, garden-filled getaway.

City officials held a memorial ceremony for the body of acting Public Safety Secretary Juan David Juarez López.

The city said in a statement Friday that the assailants shot Juarez Lopez Thursday outside his home as he returned from work.

“Cuernavaca is suffering a crime crisis, just like the rest of Morelos state,” according to the statement.

For example, the Roman Catholic bishop of Cuernavaca, Mons. Rámon Castro, said that some churches have rescheduled night or evening services because parishioners were afraid of crime and violence.

“People are afraid to go to Mass at night,” Castro said this week.