Sergio Perez’s bodyguard was shot during an attempted car robbery in Guadalajara. Perez, a Red Bull driver, was competing in the Monaco Grand Prix at the time. He only found out about the incident after qualifying in the ninth race.
According to a local media outlet from Mexico, the incident happened in the early hours of Saturday. It all took place in the Ladrón de Guevara neighbourhood, in Perez’s hometown, Guadalajara.
The robbers tried to seize the vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler, which Antonio Perez’s bodyguard had been driving. Antonio is Sergio’s brother, but there’s currently no information whether or not he was even in the car.
In the exchange, robbers pulled out a firearm, and while the bodyguard tried to grab the weapon, there was an exchange of bullets. In the process, Sergio Perez’s bodyguard was shot in the face.
El Informador, a Mexican newspaper also reported that a second car, which was driven by the other bodyguard, noticed the robbery.
The Aftermath
After shots had been fired, the would-be robbers fled the scene in a black Chevrolet, and the bodyguard was taken into emergency care. The police received a report of the incident after about 20 minutes and went in search of the robbers.
Fortunately, they were able to track down the car, and they made two arrests in connection with the robbery. The robbers are now being held in custody, and a full investigation is set to begin soon.
Following the incident, Perez confirmed the story was true and said “They heard one of my security guards was last shot, but they basically tried to rob the car and nothing else going on. He is in good condition and the police got the robbers.”
Also, Perez says that his family is safe as well and that the situation is under control. However, it is still unknown whether this was a targeted attack on Perez’s car or just auto theft gone wrong.
This incident highlights the difference in crime environments and an always-ready reaction/response. As reported, this sounds like a random act of violence where the “victim’s” were security or the security team was close. Situational awareness, training, immediate planning and execution all came into play here. Glad the security agent is expected to recover. However, a lot to go through for something that the owner can sell.— Chris Story, Senior Consultant Anomaly Management Services