Dominican Republic town tense after couple slain in attack

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Authorities in the Dominican Republic have dispatched additional police officers and soldiers to a border town amid fears of reprisals against Haitians after the death of a local couple in a machete attack.

The reinforcements began arriving Tuesday in Pedernales, a day after people drove through the town using loudspeakers during the woman’s funeral calling for the arrest of the two Haitians suspected of carrying out the attack and warning all Haitian migrants to leave the area.

The man died in the apparent Feb. 19 robbery and the woman succumbed to her injuries three weeks later.

Interior Minister Carlos Amarante urged people not to take justice into their own hands as he announced that Haitian authorities had detained one suspect and were preparing to turn him over to Dominican authorities.