A 15-year-old boy taken hostage during a robbery in the early hours of Thursday in Itakyry, Alto Paraná, was freed unharmed hours later. The teenager was found in the Tacuara colony, about 15 to 20 kilometres from the crime scene, after asking for help at a home in the area.
The robbery took place around 2 a.m. at the El Campo supermarket, located in the central area of the district. Four armed and hooded men broke into the De Lima family home behind the business and subdued everyone present while they slept.
The criminals stayed on the premises until about 3:30 a.m., ransacking the house and the shop. They took G. 45 million from a safe, G. 5 million from the till, six mobile phones, a gold bracelet, and the security system's storage device. They also forced the victims to make bank transfers totalling about G. 14 million, bringing the total loss to roughly G. 64 million.
To secure their escape, the robbers took the teenager — the owner's adopted son, according to Subcomisario Fredy García — and fled in the family's Toyota Allex car. The intention, investigators said, was to prevent the police from being called immediately. The family, however, reported the case to the 12th Precinct after the criminals left at around 3:30 a.m., with no word on the minor.
After the hostage was freed, the National Police intensified the search in the northern region of Alto Paraná, with support from officers sent from Ciudad del Este. The perpetrators of the robbery have not yet been located.