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Former Ecuador international shot dead in brutal shop attack

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Former Ecuador international shot dead in brutal shop attack
Former Ecuador international footballer Mario Pineida has been shot dead in a brutal ambush at a butcher's shop in the port city of Guayaquil.

The 33-year-old full-back had gone to the shop with his mother and a female friend to buy meat for a Christmas meal when they were confronted by two armed men.

According to local reports, the attackers appeared to be waiting for their victims.

Witness footage shows Pineida raising his hands moments before one of the assailants opened fire at close range.

A second gunman, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet, targeted the woman accompanying him.

Both victims were shot repeatedly, even after falling to the ground.

The footballer's mother was also injured during the attack but is not believed to be seriously hurt.

Ambush in Broad Daylight

The double murder took place at around 4pm local time on Wednesday outside the butcher’s shop in northern Guayaquil.

Pineida had driven the two women to the location to buy a pork shank for their family Christmas meal.

Police believe the attackers deliberately targeted the group, with early investigations focusing on whether either victim had been receiving threats prior to the shooting.

Pineida earned nine caps for Ecuador between 2014 and 2021 and was a well-known figure in the country's domestic game.

Wife Clarifies False Reports

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Pineida's wife, Ana Aguilar, was mistakenly identified as the second female victim.

She later issued an emotional statement on social media to correct the misinformation.
I respectfully and emphatically clarify that this information is completely false. I am his wife, Ana Aguilar, mother of his three children, and I am alive and well.

We deeply regret the passing of my husband, Mario Pineida, an event that fills us with grief as a family. At this difficult time, we ask for respect for our mourning, for my integrity and especially for that of our children.
Mrs Aguilar later attended the scene and formally identified her husband's body.

She has since been questioned by police and told investigators she was unaware of any enemies her husband may have had.

Investigation and Arrest

Authorities are also examining the background of the woman killed alongside Pineida.

She had reportedly lived in Ecuador for several years and was linked to several businesses, including a mobile phone firm said to have accumulated debts.

On Thursday night, police confirmed that one suspect had been arrested following CCTV-led raids in the area.

A City Hall-controlled surveillance body said:
Raids have taken place and a suspect held following the violent death of a football player in the north of the city.

The operation was possible thanks to technical monitoring using the video surveillance system, which enabled us to detect the motorbikes used in the crime.

A second suspect remains at large.

Football Community in Mourning

Several current and former team-mates attended Pineida's wake on Thursday, with his funeral scheduled for later on Friday.

Pineida was playing for Barcelona Sporting Club in the Ecuadorian Serie A and had previously spent time on loan with Brazilian giants Fluminense in 2022.

His club said in a statement:
Barcelona Sporting Club informs, with deep regret, that it has been officially notified of the death of our player Mario Pineida, a fact that occurred after an attack against him.

This unfortunate news makes all of us who are part of the institution deeply dismayed.

Rising Violence in Ecuador

Pineida is the fifth footballer killed in Ecuador this year, amid a surge in violent crime.

In November, Miguel Nazareno - a 16-year-old player from Independiente del Valle - died after being hit by a stray bullet in Guayaquil.

The country is on course for its deadliest year on record, with more than 9,000 homicides reported so far, according to the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organised Crime.

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