Parents in San Ysidro told NBC 7 that they are taking extra precautions for their children after a San Diego teen was found dead in Tijuana—shot seven times in the head.
Desteny Memory Hernandez, 18, was found dead last week, according to the Baja California Attorney General’s office. The Imperial Beach teenager had gone partying with her friends at a nightclub at a nightclub in Tijuana.
The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18-years old—an attraction point for many local teens who can easily get across the border.
NBC 7 spoke with some parents who say after this incident, they are worried about their kids’ safety.
“I think between the ages of 18 and 22, they really don't know about the dangers in Mexico—in a different country,” said parent Lorraine Bumbasi.
A mother of four, Bumbassi said her 22-year old daughter has traveled to Tijuana with friends but younger kids need to be informed of any possible dangers.
According to the La Frontera newspaper in Tijuana, Hernandez sent her friends text messages, saying she had met some guys and was heading to one of their houses in the El Florida neighborhood. Her body was found on Sept. 7.
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"Just to let them know, warn them that it's just a different country, it's not safe,” Bumbassi said. “They don't have as good of a system to police people over there compared to the U.S.— I think it's safer here in the U.S."
Bumbassi says she wants to see more regulations for teens that are going to Mexico, such as notifying parents when their kids cross the border during certain hours.
But another parent, who was born and raised in Tijuana, disagreed.
Miguel Garcia says it’s important to educate his daughters about safety but killing is not the norm for his hometown.
"It's a tragedy obviously but there's always good stuff happening there. Not only if you want to go down and have some fun, but there are also a lot of positive things going on down there as well,” he said.
Garcia says he would be concerned if his daughters went to Tijuana under the age of 18 years old. But he would educate them on taking necessary safety precautions before they cross the border.
"I think it's an isolated thing. I don't think it's a general thing,” Garcia said. “I go there all the time and you can have fun as long as you don't hang out with the wrong people and the wrong crowds."
Meanwhile, local young women told NBC 7 that they are also taking precautions, like dressing down to avoid attracting a lot of attention.
Hernandes'z cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the thorax, abdomen and head. Officials from the Tijuana medical examiner’s office said there were no signs of sexual assault.
Her brother, Francisco Hernandez told NBC 7, that she was a kind and loving girl.
Mexican homicide investigators are investigating the shooting. So far, no arrests have been made.
