A U.S. resident from Prescott, Arizona, identified as Ernesto Rascón, allegedly murdered a dentist in the border city of Nogales, Sonora, after the dental professional was unable to treat him immediately because he was busy attending to other matters. According to Mexican authorities, the incident escalated into a fatal shooting, followed by a manhunt that ended in a deadly confrontation with police.
What Happened?
PRESCOTT, Ariz. — A 30-year-old man from Prescott, Arizona, wanted in connection with the execution-style killing of a dentist in Mexico, died following a shootout with law enforcement in Agua Prieta, Sonora, authorities reported.
The Sonora State Attorney General’s Office announced that Ernesto Rascón, a U.S. citizen with a criminal history in the United States, was killed Saturday during a tactical operation in Agua Prieta, located directly across the border from Douglas, Arizona. Investigators had identified him as the prime suspect in the October 15 murder of Amed de Jesús Preciado Hernández, a 42-year-old dentist in Nogales, Sonora.
The Motive Behind the Killing
According to the Sonora State Attorney General’s Office, the incident began when Rascón arrived at the dentist’s clinic in an agitated state, demanding immediate treatment for a problem related to a previous dental procedure.
When the dentist explained that he was busy and could not attend to him at that moment, the suspect allegedly waited outside the clinic, followed the dentist to his pickup truck, and shot him multiple times.
Surveillance footage obtained by Mexican authorities reportedly captured the ambush outside the dental practice.
Investigators from Sonora’s Ministerial Criminal Investigation Agency (AMIC), working alongside state prosecutors, used surveillance footage and forensic evidence to identify Rascón and obtain an arrest warrant.
Two days after the killing, authorities tracked him to a residence in the Ejidal 2 neighborhood of Agua Prieta, approximately 100 miles east of Nogales.
When a joint tactical team consisting of ministerial investigators, state security personnel, and municipal police officers moved in to execute the arrest warrant, Rascón allegedly opened fire on the approaching officers.
Police returned fire, killing him at the scene, according to AMIC General Commissioner Carlos Alberto Flores.
Two Officers Injured
Two officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire. A ministerial agent sustained a grazing wound to the head, while a municipal police officer was shot in the left leg.Both officers received emergency medical treatment and were subsequently discharged from the hospital.
Criminal History and Ongoing Investigation
Authorities confirmed that Rascón had a documented criminal record in the United States, including previous drug-related offenses.
Mexican authorities were coordinating with U.S. consular officials as they worked to conclude the cross-border investigation.
The case began with a dispute over dental treatment and ended with the death of a local dentist and the suspect’s fatal confrontation with Mexican law enforcement
