Overview

• On July 17 and 18, AEI agents detained Daniel “N” (35), Bartolo “N” (37) and Daniel “N” (32) and delivered them to a judge of control to face homicide charges.
• Investigators say the suspects incited neighbors and joined in a brutal beating that left Cayetano San Juan unconscious and unassisted for about ten hours before rescue.
• San Juan, who performed as the children’s entertainer Soldadín, was attacked by a mob on March 24 in Colonia El Esfuerzo after allegations of harassment that were never verified.
• The arrests mark a rare legal breakthrough in Oaxaca, where distrust of formal institutions has often fueled vigilante violence in rural communities.
• The case has drawn widespread condemnation online and from Mexico’s artistic community, intensifying calls for stronger due process and legal safeguards.