HUATULCO, Mexico — State investigators have arrested a man believed to be responsible for the murder of a local merchant nearly five months after the fatal attack occurred in the coastal town of Huatulco.

The General Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Oaxaca (FGEO) confirmed the arrest of the individual, identified as A.E.R.H., who was apprehended on Chacahua Street in Santa Cruz Huatulco. The arrest was made in fulfillment of a judicial warrant issued following a detailed investigation by the Regional Vice-Prosecutor’s Office of the Coast.

The victim, Cristian Mario Mendizábal Merino, was a well-known merchant who sold hamburgers in the Arena park of La Crucecita. According to investigation reports, the fatal incident took place in mid-May of this year. Mendizábal Merino was reportedly returning home when he was attacked with machete blows by a man involved in a street fight involving three individuals. The merchant died instantly at the scene, while the perpetrators fled.

The suspect now remains in custody, awaiting legal proceedings to determine his final judicial status.