Murder in Mérida, after 9 years of threats

Suspect dispatches annoying victim, then rides his bike to city hall to surrender

Mérida doesn't have many homicides of any type. But one occurred yesterday. José Luis Tun May apparently got tired of "nine years of insults and threats" from his neighbor, Reidi Ovet Pat Avilés. Fed up, according to authorities, he ended the long-running quarrel with two blasts from a shotgun, and then rode his bike downtown to turn himself in.

José Luis told police that Reidi showed up at his doorstep yesterday afternoon, intoxicated and threatening him with death, which Reidi allegedly did on a regular basis. José asked him to leave, suggesting that the two try to "work out their problems" at a later time, when both were in "their right minds."

Reidi demurred, so José Luis let loose with a round from his .16 gauge, slightly winging his verbal abuser on the left side. He then ordered Reidi a second time to get off his property. Witnesses on the scene say that the now-deceased replied, Si eres tan hombre, dispara maricón -- "If you're such a man, shoot (me) you queer." José Luis accommodated Reidi, killing him instantly with a second blast at point blank range. No doubt it was a bad move on Reidi's part to question José's sexual identity, given that he was holding a shotgun.

José Luis mounted up and rode his bicycle to Mérida's Municipal Palace to tell police what had happened. There's no information yet on whether he'll be charged with anything.