5 arrested in Honduras for brutal mob slaying of Italian

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Five residents of a town in Honduras were arrested Friday for the brutal mob slaying of an Italian man.

Edgardo Barahona, a spokesman for the Public Safety Department, said more possible suspects were being sought in the killing of the Italian.

The victim was identified as Giorgio Scanu. Video of the killing Thursday showed that dozens of people surrounded Scanu’s home, while some attackers went inside and killed him with stones, machetes and sticks.

Residents claimed the Italian man had killed another resident of the town of Yusguare. They later burned part of the house as his body lay inside.

Barahona said a complaint had been filed against the Italian for allegedly killing a local man during an argument over damage to his property, but residents became enraged when police did not immediately arrest Scanu.

“People were angry the Italian was not immediately arrested … but we cannot carry out an arrest without a warrant,” Barahona said. “It was being initially investigated, because there was a complaint, but there has to be evidence. That was what unleashed this whole problem.”

Yusguare is near the city of Choluteca, close to the border with neighboring Nicaragua.

Yusguare Mayor Edas Mauricio Turcios said “this is something unexpected for us.”

“After seeing the videos you are shocked, because this is a quiet town, not conflictive, and these types of scenes are hard to comprehend,” Turcios said.

The Associated Press