Polish citizen killed in Tijuana, Mexico after being mistaken with kidnapper
A tragic misunderstanding in Tijuana led to the death of a 60-year-old Polish man, Aleksander Banas Konrad, after he was mistakenly accused of attempting to kidnap a child.
A tragic case has come out of Tijuana, Baja California, where Aleksander Banas Konrad, a 60-year-old Polish national, was fatally stabbed by a taxi driver on May 8th. Following a sequence of events, Banas Konrad was accused of attempting to kidnap a child.
The Baja California Attorney General's Office reports that initial investigations suggest that Banas Konrad's actions would not have been understood as attempting to kidnap the child but rather, he was looking for assistance after being robbed. The confrontation intensified after the child's mother called for help, at which point his actions were compounded by the taxi driver and other people by restraining him, resulting in Banas Konrad being stabbed. Authorities are still working the case.
Baja California prosecutor's office version
On the afternoon of May 8th, a Polish citizen was fatally stabbed in Tijuana, Baja California, by a taxi driver who, along with a group of people, restrained him, mistakenly thinking he was trying to kidnap a child.
Aleksander Banas Konrad's tragic end took place on the streets of the Granjas Familiares II neighborhood when he approached a woman and her child. The mother believed he intended to harm them, so she sought help from a group of people who then pursued him, thinking he was a kidnapper.
Witnesses report that Banas Konrad had been the victim of a robbery and approached the woman to ask for help, but he did not speak Spanish. He then hugged the 5-year-old child with enthusiasm, which caused the mother to fear a kidnapping and shout for help.
Maria Elena Andrade Ramírez, the head of the Baja California Attorney General’s Office (FGJBC), clarified that the investigation is still ongoing, but initial findings suggest that the Polish citizen exhibited erratic behavior, prompting the authorities to conduct toxicology tests on his body.
"The woman, who was allegedly assaulted, claimed he didn’t speak Spanish. At one point, he even approached the child, took glasses out of his backpack, and tried to put them on the child, seemingly in an attempt to get closer. He later approached the victim and the child, giving the child a tight hug, obviously against their will," said the prosecutor in a press statement.
Upon noticing this behavior, the child's mother asked nearby people for help. They chased Aleksander Banas Konrad, and before he could board a vehicle, they restrained him, beat him, and the taxi driver, José René “N”, fatally stabbed him with a knife.
"It was not a kidnapping"
Andrade Ramírez emphasized that this was not an attempted kidnapping: “There wasn’t even illegal detention. It seems that, at first glance, it was simply the erratic behavior of this individual.”
Despite this, the prosecutor confirmed that no line of investigation would be ruled out, and they are reviewing security camera footage that showed the Polish man appearing calm and asking for help from nearby merchants before being assaulted.
Regarding the person arrested for the homicide, it was reported that they have already been presented to the appropriate authorities, while the involvement of other individuals in the crime is still being investigated.
