Susy Aponte Polo, known as “China Polo”, was assassinated at the market of Caraz on Saturday, September 19, during an attack executed by Venezuelan Luis Obispo Díaz. Obispo received three gunshot wounds during his escape while attempting to flee from two members of the personal security team of Aponte Polo, according to police and hospital records.
Assassination at the Caraz Market and Suspect Capture
The attack occurred at midday on September 19 in the market of Caraz, claiming the life of candidate and journalist Susy Aponte Polo. As the gunman, eight-year Peru resident Luis Obispo Díaz, attempted to flee the scene, personal security guards pursued him. During the chase, Obispo used a pistol and wounded five people before three bullets struck his own body. One projectile fractured his jaw.
Police evacuated the wounded hitman to the San Juan de Dios hospital, alongside the five injured bystanders. Due to hostile reactions from victims’ families who prevented prompt medical attention, authorities transferred Obispo to the Víctor Ramos Guardia hospital in Huaraz. While waiting in a wheelchair in a hallway of the nosocomial facility, an agent from the Huaraz Criminal Investigation Division recorded a video interview with him.
Police Interrogation and Recruitment Details
Despite speaking with an inflamed mouth that made certain passages difficult to understand, Obispo provided details about the conspiracy to the police investigator. The confessed assassin stated that he received the criminal assignment from a woman in Lima who used the alias ‘La Gocha’. Police sources noted that ‘La Gocha’ is a regional term for individuals from the Andean region of Venezuela, such as Táchira, Trujillo, and Mérida, though Obispo identified the contact as Peruvian.
Obispo explained that he communicated with ‘La Gocha’ strictly via telephone and did not know her in person, having disposed of the phone used for the communication. He stated that the woman operated as a client through the inDrive taxi application where he worked as a driver. According to police sources, this application database will allow investigators to trace the true identity of the suspect known as ‘La Gocha’.
Did You Know? Luis Obispo Díaz paid 500 soles for the pistol used in the attack, purchasing the weapon in Villa María del Triunfo after receiving an assignment promising a payment of over 10,000 to 15,000 soles.
Autopsy Findings and Ballistic Trajectory
According to the necropsy report accessed by La República, Susy Aponte Polo sustained a gunshot wound in the right supraorbitaria region near her right eye. The projectile exited through the left occipital region of her head, resulting in a loss of bone structure. Forensic experts established that the trajectory moved from right to left, front to back, and top to bottom.
The analysis indicates that the shooter positioned himself approximately three meters away on the right side of the victim when he fired three shots. One of these bullets struck her head directly. The Caraz Prosecutor’s Office ordered strict surveillance for Obispo while he remains hospitalized in Huaraz, as his testimony serves as a key element for identifying those who financed the homicide.
Details of the Caraz market shooting and the captured assailant
When and where did the assassination of Susy Aponte Polo take place?
The attack occurred at the market of Caraz at midday on Saturday, September 19.
How was the assailant apprehended and identified?
Two personal security guards pursued Luis Obispo Díaz as he fled. He wounded five people with his pistol before being shot three times, fracturing his jaw, and was subsequently interrogated by police at the Víctor Ramos Guardia hospital in Huaraz.
What financial and logistical details did the hitman provide?
Obispo stated that a Lima-based contact known as ‘La Gocha’, whom he met through the inDrive taxi platform, promised him between 10,000 and 15,000 soles. He also admitted to purchasing the murder weapon for 500 soles in Villa María del Triunfo.
What measures can authorities take to better protect candidates and journalists facing targeted threats during campaign periods?