Three kidnappers who abducted and killed an 11-year-old boy after his parents paid a $19,000 ransom have been killed after they were dragged out of a Guatemala police station by villagers who set them on fire alive.
Ovidio Méndez, 24; Selvin Pérez, 24; and Samuel Godínez, 38, were killed earlier this week in the western town of Colotonango.
The suspects had abducted Freddy Méndez on August 12 and requested a $19,500 ransom in exchange for his release, according to the Guatemala National Police.
Investigators believe that the kidnappers targeted the boy because his father is currently living in the United States and frequently sent money back home to save for the construction of a new residence, Mail Online reported.
The abductors sent his family a photo that showed one of the suspects holding a shotgun with the child by his side. The family then paid the ransom, but the boy was never returned.
Angry residents captured the three suspects on Monday and turned them over to local authorities.
The group stormed the police station, overwhelmed the cops, and took one of the men by force to a wooded area. There, they beat him, dosed gasoline over his body, and finally set him on fire after he had confirmed that Freddy Méndez was dead from a shot to the head and buried in a pit.
The villagers later returned to the station and dragged out the two remaining suspects, and also set them on fire
The angry villagers also set fire to the home of one of the suspects.
