Burned body of missing priest is found

Tijuana cleric had disappeared from his house

Tijuana.- A Catholic priest missing for several days was killed Monday and his body dumped in an empty lot on the city's east side, state authorities announced Friday night.

In a statement, the State Attorney General's Office said that the victim was identified Friday after a test was conducted using the DNA of his brother for comparison.

The body of the priest, Salvador Ruiz Enciso, was found around 2 a.m. Monday near Boulevard 2000, between the Valle Bonito bridge and the free road Tijuana-Tecate.

When found, the body had third-degree burns and electrical cord had been used around his neck and ankles. Gray adhesive tape had been used to cover his head.

Ruiz Enciso, 51 years old, was reported missing on Tuesday after staff members from his church, Divino Rostro de Jesús, had gone to his nearby house and found his possessions in disarray but no trace of him.

The cause of death was strangulation, according to the medical examiner.

Tijuana's Archbishop Rafael Romo issued a statement Friday expressing his condolences to the priest's family and his "profound pain and consternation."

"Father 'Chavita' was a simple man devoted to his ministry. In the communities where he served he's remembered with affection, as a man of God, with good values," Romo said.

"We condemn the brutal way they killed him," he added. "And we trust that the authorities will bring those responsible to justice."

Baja California's deputy attorney general for organized crime, Fermín Gómez, said on Thursday that the priest's family said they had not received a request for a ransom, thus it was not likely that Ruiz Enciso had been kidnapped.

In addition, Gómez revealed that investigators had found pornographic material at the priest's house, particularly compact discs. He said they were trying to ascertain if this material involved children and who the owner was.

Earlier, the archdiocese had provided some details about the priest's career. He had arrived in Tijuana in 2005 after serving as vicar of the San Miguel Archangel Church. He had been the parish priest at the San Isidro Church and a deacon in Sinaloa state, where he was ordained in 1984.

In a statement, the Attorney General's Office said the investigation of the priest's killing would continue.

Omar.millan@sandiegored.com

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