The keyboardist for a Mexican indie band has died at the age of 38. He was gunned down along with his 35-year-old wife, who was four months pregnant, and his three-year-old daughter. His son was the only survivor of the massacre.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Victim's Son Hid Under the Blankets During the Massacre
As reported by the New York Post, Jonathan Meléndez was found dead on Sep. 1 in the master bedroom of his apartment in Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico. He was a member of the band Camilo Séptimo, which he founded with singer Manuel Mendoza and guitarist Erik Vázquez in 2013.
Meléndez's wife, Ana Paula, was shot in the head and found with the couple's daughter, Sofia, in a nearby bathroom. Also part of the massacre was the family's 21-year-old nanny, Aleida Romero Victoria. She was found dead in a utility room. The family's dog was discovered at the scene "bound."
Meléndez's six-year-old son survived by hiding under the blankets during the massacre.
Meléndez's Business Partner Is Allegedly Behind the Murder
Two arrests have been made in connection with the massacre. Diego Sebastian "N," named as an "associate" of Meléndez, and an accomplice, Gerardo "N," were connected to the scene.
Police believe the family was murdered between 5:30 and 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday. The bodies were found before midnight.
Around 5 p.m., Meléndez took a phone call from a friend. The two managed Airbnbs, but they had had some disagreements. They told Meléndez he would be having a meeting with his associate.
During the call, Meléndez ordered them to call the cops if he didn't hear from him later that night. Nearly 25 minutes after the call began, Diego Sebastian "N" was then seen on surveillance using an elevator in the apartment complex.
Omar Hamid García Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security, said Diego Sebastian "N" had "exploited the relationship of trust to enter the residence."
It is not clear when the suspect left the apartment. Robbery was ruled out as a motive, as the apartment had not been ransacked.
Meléndez's bandmates released a statement following the massacre of the keyboardist's family.
"They will live forever in our hearts," it read. "Honas, we celebrate your music, your life, and your light. Rest in peace."
