These are cries that alerted police on patrol Friday night in the capital of Guatemala. Going in search of the person in distress, they came across a gruesome scene: three teenage girls, aged 14 to 17, beheading a 15-year-old girl.
When the police arrived, one of them was holding the victim and another was filming with her cell phone. Despite their intervention, the victim died at the scene. Members of the Barrio 18 gang, the three teenage girls were arrested.
The motive for the crime was unknown at this stage. The Barrio 18 gang, like its rival Mara Salvatrucha, specializes in racketeering businesses and bus companies, murdering employees who refuse to pay the amount demanded.
Gangs and drug trafficking activities are responsible for approximately 50% of the 3,500 violent deaths recorded each year in Guatemala.