25/06/2026 09:48 - Internacionales
Alejandro Fabián Águila Jorquera, a 12-year-old boy, tragically lost his life in the early hours of Tuesday, June 24, 2026, in the commune of San Bernardo, located south of Santiago, Chile. The child was dragged more than 3 kilometers (approximately 30 city blocks) by criminals who had stolen his father's vehicle at gunpoint.
The family, consisting of the boy, his Argentine father Fabio Águila, and an aunt, was returning from a long weekend in Mendoza, a major city in western Argentina near the Chilean border. They had traveled there to celebrate Father's Day, which is widely observed in both countries. As they entered the metropolitan region of Chile around 1:00 AM via Ruta 5 Sur (a major Chilean highway), they were intercepted by a gang of four to five heavily armed criminals.
The assailants, traveling in a previously stolen vehicle, swerved to block the family's car. They threatened the victims with edged weapons and ordered them to exit immediately. The father and aunt managed to exit the vehicle in a state of panic, but the 12-year-old boy could not unbuckle his seatbelt in time.
"I realized they were taking my nephew away, hanging by his neck from the seatbelt he couldn't undo," the aunt testified before authorities, in a statement that has shaken the entire community.
Without regard for the child's life, the criminals accelerated to escape. The boy remained tangled in the seatbelt and was dragged along the asphalt until he died from the sustained injuries. Chilean prosecutor Juan Carlos Hidalgo from the Western Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office explained: "The child likely tried to free himself or exit the vehicle, becoming entangled in the seatbelt, which caused him to be dragged for several kilometers."
The brutality of this crime has sparked a wave of outrage across Chile and Argentina. Chilean President José Antonio Kast has called for life imprisonment for those responsible.
Minister Arrau stated categorically: "The State failed," acknowledging the deficiencies in the security system that allowed a youth criminal gang to operate with impunity in the area.
Neighbors in San Bernardo organized a candlelight vigil in the streets to demand justice for Alejandro, in a powerful demonstration of rejection against criminal violence.
Encerronas is a Spanish term referring to a type of coordinated robbery where criminals surround and trap victims, often in their vehicles. This method has become increasingly common among criminal gangs in Chile. The involvement of minors in these crimes raises serious questions about the juvenile justice system and rehabilitation programs in the country. Chile, traditionally considered one of South America's safest nations, has faced rising crime rates in recent years, prompting national debates about security reforms.
Source: El Trece TV
Alfredo S. Quiroga
