Violence in the City: A retiree died of a heart attack after a robbery

Amid the alarming growth of insecurity in the Federal Capital of Jorge Macri, a new case shakes the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Parque Chacabuco: Mario Villanueva, a 79-year-old retiree, died of a heart attack at his home after a violent robbery committed by at least two criminals, with the alleged complicity of his caregiver. The incident once again puts the lack of crime prevention and control in the City of Buenos Aires. under scrutiny.

Insecurity in the City of Buenos Aires claimed another life. In the early hours of Monday, around 3 a.m., two criminals entered a two-story house on Del Barco Centenera Street, near the corner of José Manuel Estrada, just 300 meters from Parque Chacabuco. There resided Mario Villanueva Moure, a 79-year-old Spanish citizen, who suffered a heart attack and died during the assault.

The house showed no signs of forced entry: the strikers had allegedly climbed the front gate and entered quietly. Once inside, they overpowered Villanueva and his caregiver—a 20-year-old woman—and locked them in a room while they ransacked the house for valuables.

It was the caregiver herself who, after the thieves fled, called for help. A neighbor called 911 and SAME. Upon arrival, medical personnel confirmed that Villanueva had passed away. "At first glance, no signs of violence were observed on the body," sources from the case noted, although the autopsy results are awaited to determine if the death was due to a cardiorespiratory arrest or if other factors were involved.

However, what initially seemed to be another tragic case of urban insecurity took a shocking turn: the caregiver ended up confessing to the City Police that she had allowed the criminals access and that one of them is a relative of hers. The young woman was arrested, accused of acting as an informant. The other thief is reportedly a friend of the involved relative. Both remain at large and are being intensely sought.

The investigation, led by the National Criminal Prosecutor's Office No. 9, headed by prosecutor Lucio Herrera and secretary Cecilia Kelly, is progressing with the analysis of security cameras in the area. Meanwhile, the City Police Homicide Division is working to find the material perpetrators of the crime, while the Scientific Police continues the forensic examinations at the residence.

Neighbors in the area were shocked. Guillermo, a resident of the block, expressed his doubts about the caregiver: "I don't understand how she got out of the room where she was supposedly locked," he questioned. He also suggested that she might have helped open a second door to facilitate the thieves' access.

Another testimony collected by the media reinforces the pain left by the loss. A visibly distressed neighbor told the media that Mario was a widower, had suffered a stroke, and was the father of two children. "He was an excellent person, the kind we should have more of in this country and of which there are fewer and fewer," she expressed through tears.

Villanueva had been an employee of the Spanish airline Iberia. He had lived in the neighborhood for many years and was well-loved by his community. The lack of preventive responses from the City government in the face of rising crime is becoming increasingly unsustainable, even in areas where there was historically a certain sense of protection.