Authorities have apprehended two suspects in connection with a tragic murder case that has shocked the community. The victim, Reverend Ernesto Baltazar Hernández Vilchis, aged 43, vanished from Tultepec, located north of Mexico City, on October 27. His remains were discovered approximately 15 kilometers away on Wednesday, prompting an ongoing homicide investigation, as confirmed by the prosecutor’s office.

The peril faced by religious figures, often targeted by organized crime in Mexico, is an unsettling reality. Just last month, the body of another priest was uncovered in the rugged terrain of Guerrero’s southern mountains, highlighting the dangers clergy members face.

Reverend Hernández Vilchis began his service at the Santa Cruz Cantera parish in Tultepec earlier in October, as announced on the church’s social media platform. His untimely death has left the local community mourning and seeking justice.

Last month, the body of a priest was found in the mountains of the southern state of Guerrero.

Hernández Vilchis arrived at the parish of Santa Cruz Cantera, in Tultepec, in early October, according to the church’s Facebook page.

Days later, the parish announced on their social networks that intruders entered the temple, cut the cables of the security cameras and stole one of their bells.

The parish asked for the community’s collaboration to find those responsible.

The prosecutor’s office did not say what could be the motive behind the murder.

In a statement, it indicated the priest went alone in his vehicle to a home where he spent several hours with a woman and man, who allegedly attacked him with a sharp object. The alleged assailant’s partner also arrived at the scene.

The three individuals, allegedly participated in hiding the body. The man, who had a criminal record for a violent robbery, and his partner have been arrested. The other woman is under investigation.

The church’s Catholic Multimedia Centre, which tracks attacks on priests, said 10 priests were killed in Mexico from 2019 to 2024. During the same period there were 900 cases of extortion, death threats against members of the Catholic Church, as well as other types of aggression.