On Wednesday night, April 2, 2025, a family was brutally attacked in Comas, a district in Lima, Peru, at the intersection of Lima and San Felipe avenues. The family had just returned from attending a mass when they were intercepted by a black car and subsequently attacked by sicarios on a motorcycle. The shocking incident left three individuals injured and one dead, underscoring the escalating violence in the region.
The victims included Piero Díaz Arrieta, 19, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg; Lucero Stephany Pillaca Farías, 39, who was hit by two bullets; and a two-year-old child, identified as A.U.D.P., who sustained shots to the chest and face. Tragically, Ángel Christiam Díaz Vila, 46, died from multiple gunshot wounds after being rushed to the Hospital Sergio Bernales.
Díaz Vila, known on social media as ‘Oropeza de Los Olivos’, had a notorious reputation and a criminal history that included drug trafficking and violence. According to police sources consulted by El Comercio, the attack is believed to be a settling of scores within the criminal underworld. The provincial prosecutor Abel Zegarra Wixsan has opened a preliminary investigation into the homicide of Díaz Vila.
Hours before the Comas attack, another violent incident shocked Lima Norte. Paul López, a 52-year-old driver for the public transport company Aquarius, was gunned down while working his regular route between San Martín de Porres and Chorrillos. The attack occurred at the intersection of Canta Callao and Alisos avenues, an area plagued by violence and extortion.
Security cameras captured the moment López was followed by sicarios who ultimately took his life. His employer, Aquarius, reported that the company had been under extortion threats from a criminal gang known as “Occidentales Criminales Sanguinarios Intocables” (OCSI) for the past two weeks. The extortion began when a thief stole a driver's cell phone and subsequently demanded a payment of S/70,000 to allow the drivers to continue operating.
In addition to the hefty extortion demand, the gang offered a payment of S/120 for an “inscription” plus S/20 daily for each vehicle. When the drivers refused to comply, the gang escalated their threats, leading to López’s tragic murder.
Despite a state of emergency declared by the Peruvian government, violence continues to rise in the capital. This year alone, the Sistema Informático de Defunciones (Sinadef) reports 558 homicides, averaging six deaths daily, with over 70% of these murders committed with firearms. Just hours before the massacre in Comas, an 89-year-old man named Fausto Sánchez Montemayor died in an attack on a policlinic on Túpac Amaru avenue, which had previously been targeted by extortionists.
The municipality of Comas has issued an official statement urging the government to take decisive actions against organized crime. They have also called for legislation to limit motorcycle passengers to one person, as these vehicles are often used in drive-by shootings. The municipality emphasized, “We cannot continue losing innocent lives due to extortion and hitmen.”
On a broader scale, the violence is not limited to organized crime. In San Isidro, a shocking act of domestic violence occurred on April 3, 2025. Juan Carlos Olórtegui Dueñas, 28, murdered his ex-partner, Andrea Nicoll Paucca Pedregal, during a break from their call center job. The incident took place in public on República de Colombia avenue, where witnesses reported that Olórtegui shot Paucca Pedregal at close range before attempting to take his own life.
According to the Defensoría del Pueblo, February 2025 alone saw 11 reported feminicides, with five occurring in Lima Metropolitana. This alarming trend highlights the ongoing issues of gender-based violence in the country.
In a separate incident in Floridablanca, Santander, Luis Acuña Herrera, known as ‘Sancocho’, was murdered by sicarios at his liquor store, Punto Dorado, on the evening of April 2, 2025. Acuña was targeted while picking up his partner and was shot multiple times by a second assailant after the first attempted to shoot but failed. Authorities suspect the murder may be linked to personal disputes, as Acuña reportedly collected approximately 15 million pesos monthly from his business.
In recent weeks, the violence in Floridablanca has escalated, with reports of a man jailed for running over a traffic officer and another individual detained for threatening human rights defenders. These incidents reflect a broader trend of violence and intimidation within communities.
As the Peruvian government grapples with the rising tide of violence, the calls for action grow louder. The persistent nature of these crimes, whether through organized crime or domestic violence, underscores a critical need for effective intervention and public safety measures. Citizens are left to wonder how many more lives must be lost before substantial changes are made to address these urgent issues.
