Slain Journalist's Dog Seen Lying Outside Her Home Seemingly Waiting for Her in Heartbreaking Images

Lourdes Maldonado López was found fatally shot in her car outside her home in Tijuana on Sunday after previously telling the Mexican President that she feared for her life

Lourdes Maldonado Lopez
Photo: facebook

Mexican journalist Lourdes Maldonado López was murdered outside of her home in Tijuana on Sunday.

Maldonado López was shot to death inside of a car in Tijuana's Santa Fe neighborhood, according to CNN, CBS News, and The Los Angeles Times.

The journalist's body was discovered by authorities around 7 p.m. local time. An investigation is underway into her killing, the outlets report.

Following Maldonado López's death, several local outlets shared heartbreaking images of a dog that appears to belong to the slain journalist lying outside her home.

In some of the images, caution tape surrounded the scene of the crime. The forlorn-looking dog stayed close to the front door as of waiting for his owner to return.

Lourdes Maldonado
Marco Ugarte/AP/Shutterstock

On Sunday, Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila shared her condolences regarding Maldonado López's death on social media.

"I deeply regret the murder of journalist Lourdes Maldonado López that occurred today in the municipality of Tijuana," she wrote on Twitter, adding: "All life is sacred, the murder of Lourdes Maldonado is covered because the journalists are dedicated to the search for the truth."

She continued, "I want to express my pain with the family of Lourdes and with the Baja California journalists, this attack was not only against Lourdes, but against our entire society. We are going to put all the strength of the State in doing justice."

Throughout her career, Maldonado López had worked at several Mexican media outlets including Primer Sistema de Noticias, which is owned by former Baja California Governor Jaime Bonilla.

Maldonado López had been involved in a years-long labor dispute with PSN and Bonilla after suing the company for unfair dismissal and unpaid wages, according to CNN and CBS News. The L.A. Times reports that Maldonado López was asking for more than $20,000 in back pay.

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In 2019, Maldonado López asked Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for his support in her legal battle, telling him: "I can't do anything without your help, Mr. President."

"I fear for my life," she expressed during one of the president's daily press briefings at the time.

Just days before she was murdered, Maldonado López had won the lawsuit, and a judge had ordered Bonilla to pay her restitution, Tijuana news outlet Zeta reports.

Lourdes Maldonado
Marco Ugarte/AP/Shutterstock

In a video shared to his social media on Monday, Bonilla said he had not spoken to Maldonado López in many years but added that the pair had a "good relationship."

Regarding her previous comments, Bonilla said he did not know why Maldonado López had asked the president for help. "There was never a threat, not even an argument with her," he said.

He also extended condolences to Maldonado López's family, saying: "Every time something happens to journalists, it hurts."

Maldonado López's death marks the third slaying of a journalist in Mexico since the start of 2022. The Tijuana press corps was still mourning the death of photographer Margarito Martínez, who was fatally shot last week, CBS News reports.

Martínez's death came after the news that journalist José Luis Gamboa was killed in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz, according to the news outlet.

On Sunday, Article 19 — a nonprofit that works to preserve freedom of expression in Mexico — condemned Maldonado López's murder on social media, writing: "Lourdes Maldonado covered corruption and politics in the entity and had been the victim of previous attacks for her work."

The statement called for authorities to "investigate urgently and objectively, applying the approved protocol to investigate crimes against freedom of expression."

On Monday, Gov. Ávila announced that she would be appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the deaths of Maldonado López and Martínez.

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