Four suspects, including a woman, 19, have been arrested for kidnapping and stabbing an American cartoon character to death after he went on a date with a woman while on holiday in Colombia
Four people, including a 19-year-old woman, are now under arrest in connection with the kidnapping and murder of an American community leader and comedian whom she allegedly lured to his death in Colombia.
Tou Ger Xiong, 50, a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota, was found dead in Medellín on December 11, a day after going on a date with Sharit Mejía.
Mejía and her accomplices, Santiago Bustamente, 25, and Andrés Hincapía, 36, were arrested last Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement Thursday.
A 17-year-old boy, whose name is being withheld because of his age, was arrested on Wednesday.
Andrés Hincapié (second from left), Santiago Bustamante (third from right) and Sharit Mejía (second from right) were arrested Tuesday in Medellín, Colombia in connection with the murder of Minnesota resident Tou Ger Xiong on December 10, 2023 kidnapped and found dead the next day
American community activist and comedian Tou Ger Xiong was lured to his death in Medellín, Colombia in December by a 19-year-old woman he met on social media
The defendants are charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated murder.
“We know it can’t bring Tou Ger back, but we also have a sense of justice,” Xiong’s brother, Eh Xiong, told CBS affiliate WCOO.
Prosecutors said Tou Ger Xiong went to Mejía’s home in Robledo’s Medellín neighborhood before he was kidnapped.
His captors contacted his friend in the United States and demanded $2,000 to secure his release before killing him.
Xiong’s Facebook posted a video clip of a dinner he had with Mejía last October.
Colombian officers read Andrés Hincapié his rights as they arrested him in Medellín on Tuesday
Police in Medellín, Colombia arrested Sharit Mejía on Tuesday for her role in the murder of American comedian Tou Ger Xiong
Santiago Bustamante is one of four suspects, including a 17-year-old boy, arrested Tuesday in Medellín, Colombia in connection with the December 2023 kidnapping and murder of Tou Ger Xiong.
“This is Korean food with my girl,” he heard the victim say behind his cell phone camera.
Xiong also shared a video of himself attending a concert by Colombian singer Karol G a week before his death. Mejía appears briefly in the 31-second recording.
Eh Xiong said he had previously contacted Mejía and was shocked by her involvement.
“That kind of betrayal just breaks my heart,” he said. “If they could do this to my brother, they can do it to anyone else.”
The deaths of Xiong and seven other American men between November 1 and December 31, 2023 prompted the US State Department to warn against the use of dating apps in Colombia.
The U.S. government labeled the deaths as “suspicious,” indicating “possible drugging, theft and overdose, several of which involve the use of online dating applications.”
The advisory warned Americans that when meeting strangers for the first time, “they should strongly remember to meet only in public places and avoid isolated locations, such as homes or hotel rooms, where the potential for crime is greatest.” ‘
It is also recommended that if Americans decide to invite a person they have met to a home or hotel, they speak with the attendant/concierge beforehand and establish a policy on what information your new visitor must provide before being allowed to enter come (identification photo). , etc.) and what process should be followed when your visitor leaves.’