Friday night, August 12 was full of fear, worry, and desperation for Baja Californians after a series of violent acts by supposedly armed groups, according to witnesses. As a result, several roads were blocked and closed after several cars were set on fire.

In total, 24 cars were set on fire in the five municipalities of Baja California: 2 in Tecate, Ensenada, and Mexicali; 3 in Rosarito, and 15 in Tijuana. These incidents occurred in the streets of Colonia Hipódromo, Downtown, Colonia Linda Vista, Cuauhtémoc Boulevard, and more.

According to several witnesses posting on social media, armed groups stopped transportation vehicles, made all people inside get off, and set the cars on fire. These violent acts caused security and emergency officials to be sent to put out the fires, however, the fact that these fires were carried out simultaneously and the city’s traffic made the situation worse as fear increased in the city.

These fires caused roads to be closed and increased waiting times in the public roads that were open. In addition, fear increased in the Baja Californian population as many decided to go back to their homes as soon as possible. Businesses, malls, cultural centers, schools, and even public transportation suspended their services immediately.

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