Two policemen were in their car in La Matanza, they wanted to rob them and started shooting: three dead

Two police officers were shot at while traveling in their car in La Matanza, Argentina, during an attempted robbery that left three attackers dead and one injured. The incident occurred early Saturday morning in the Rafael Castillo neighborhood, near the intersection of Sudamérica and 2400. The two officers, who are a couple, were off-duty at the time and driving a gray Volkswagen Fox when they were approached by four armed men in a black Renault Sandero. According to reports, the attackers stopped suddenly in front of the officers' vehicle and began to approach them with weapons drawn. The officer behind the wheel immediately reached for his service weapon and fired at the assailants. His partner, seated in the passenger seat, also retrieved her firearm and opened fire on one of the attackers who was approaching her. The confrontation escalated quickly, resulting in the deaths of three of the suspects on the spot. A fourth attacker, a 17-year-old identified only by the initials T.N.G., suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Paroissien Hospital in Isidro Casanova for emergency treatment. The driver of the Renault Sandero fled the scene after hearing the gunfire. Authorities confirmed the identities of the deceased attackers as Kevin Matías Martínez, 18 years old; Walter Gabriel Ponce, 22; and Rodrigo Alejandro Vargas, also 22. The investigation into the incident has been led by prosecutor Claudio Fornaro of the La Matanza Homicide Unit. After examining the crime scene, he concluded that the officers acted in self-defense and took no legal action against them. Forensic teams collected nine spent 9-millimeter cartridges and four lead bullets from the scene, along with the officers' weapons for ballistic analysis. Autopsies will be conducted at the Lomas de Zamora morgue, and security camera footage from the area is being reviewed to reconstruct the sequence of events. This incident follows another violent episode in La Matanza earlier this week, when 82-year-old Lorenzo Fiorentino was killed during a home invasion in San Justo. The attackers forced open a window while the victim slept with his wife, assaulted him, and caused him to suffer a fatal cardiac arrest. This case adds to a growing concern over rising crime rates in the region. In 2025 alone, there have been 147 intentional homicides recorded in La Matanza, with 22 of these occurring during robberies. The municipality's homicide rate stands at 8.02 per 100,000 residents, nearly double the provincial average for Buenos Aires. According to additional reports, the officers were returning home in their civilian clothes when they encountered five individuals in the black Renault Sandero. Security cameras captured part of the encounter, showing two of the attackers approaching the driver’s side of the police car and attempting to open the door. Another suspect targeted the passenger side, where the female officer was seated. Both officers responded by drawing their weapons, leading to a brief exchange of gunfire at close range. Two of the attackers, Kevin Martínez and Walter Ponce, were found lying near the vehicle, while Rodrigo Vargas, initially wounded, later died in the hospital. The 17-year-old suspect was detained and remains hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Investigators continue searching for the fifth attacker, who managed to escape the scene. Prosecutor Claudio Fornaro ordered forensic measures to reconstruct the incident, including the examination of the weapons used by both the officers and the suspects. Among the items seized were a .22 caliber revolver and a replica gun, alongside the nine spent 9-millimeter shells and six lead bullets recovered from the site. Camera footage will play a crucial role in determining how the confrontation unfolded. The judicial process continues with efforts to locate the remaining suspect and conduct further ballistic tests on the evidence collected.