Venezuelan Gunmen Snatch Mother of Pitcher Urbina

[hang a left]

Venezuelan Gunmen Snatch Mother of Pitcher Urbina
Thu Sep 2, 2004 03:35 PM ET
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Armed Venezuelan gunmen kidnapped the mother of major-league baseball pitcher Ugueth Urbina after breaking into the family's home near Caracas, police said on Thursday.
The gang forced its way on Wednesday into the home of Urbina, a star relief pitcher last year for the World Series champion Florida Marlins, stole $520 and took his mother, Maura Villareal, and a man from the house, said Joel Rengifo, chief of the national Investigative Police anti-kidnapping unit.

"They checked over the house, took a million bolivars ($520) that she had to pay workers and then took her and a mechanic," Rengifo told reporters.

"There could have been some previous surveillance of the pitcher's mother and that is why they may have taken this person," he said.



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http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6138737

[MaineDem]

1. Oh man!

Poor Ugie.

[Vladimir]

2. As the article correctly points out

Venezuela has a very high crime rate, much of it due to the poverty of many within the country and the utterly inequitable distribution of wealth. In 2002, it had the 2nd highest per capita rate for murders and attempted murders in the world.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0,,2-1659_1272231,00.html

This problem will only be fixed if the causes are fixed... until then this sort of incident will remain sadly commonplace.