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Investigators Link Seized Gun to 2024 Burglary After Mar del Plata Shopkeeper Kills Two Armed Robbers

Prosecutors are treating the case as self-defense pending evidentiary review.

Overview

  • Fingerprint analysis identified the deceased as Juan Carlos Badilla, 31, and Diego Martín Nieto, 28, both with prior criminal records.
  • A Bersa TPR 9mm recovered at the scene was confirmed in police databases as stolen and under an active seizure order from December 13, 2024 after a home burglary in Hernandarias.
  • The 48-year-old shopkeeper fired four shots from a Bersa .380 after being threatened and struck, and the attackers collapsed and died on the sidewalk outside the store.
  • UFI No. 6, led by prosecutor Romina Díaz, is reviewing the store’s security footage to substantiate the self-defense account.
  • Authorities are verifying the shopkeeper’s firearm authorization after reports his license was expired, and he remains free under medical supervision for head injuries.