An influencer was found dead with her spouse and children inside a pickup truck in Mexico. Police discovered the four bodies in the area of San Andrés, in Guadalajara, on August 22, but they were not identified until several days later.
Influencer 33-year-old TikTok personality Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay was killed and wrapped in plastic inside a grey Ford Ranger, abandoned in the neighbourhood. Three other plastics contained the bodies of her 36-year-old husband, Roberto Carlos Gil Licea, and their children: 13-year-old Gael Santiago and 7-year-old Regina.
Investigators believe the family was killed elsewhere before being transported to the location. Police used CCTV footage in their investigation to trace the pickup truck back to an auto repair shop. At the establishment, they found evidence, including bloodstains and bullet casings, indicating that the family was murdered at the location before their bodies were transported and abandoned in the vehicle.
Three men who worked at the shop were initially detained but were later released due to insufficient evidence to tie them to the quadruple homicide. However, after the men were released from the prosecutor’s office, they were ambushed. According to officials, the attackers waited more than 2 hours before striking.
Two of the men were abducted by the assailants, while the third managed to escape. It is currently unclear if the attackers were acting in retaliation against the quadruple murder. Investigators are working to find the third person for questioning.
Though the motive remains uncertain, speculation has swirled around Garibay’s husband. Local media reported that he may have been the intended target, given his work in vehicle sales and tomato farming in Michoacan, a region long affected by organised crime.
Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, known to her followers as Esmeralda FG, first gained attention on TikTok in 2020 with light-hearted lip-sync clips that showcased her humour. Over time, she shifted her content to lavish lifestyle and travel, attracting more than 43,000 followers who tuned in to see snapshots of her daily life.
Some of her content stirred controversy, including clips of her lip-syncing to narco-corridos, songs associated with drug cartel culture, while hinting at her husband’s alleged ties to such groups. One viral video with the caption “Advantages of having a narco boyfriend” gained nearly 140,000 views. Despite the speculation, authorities have found no evidence linking Garibay or her husband to organised crime. The family had moved from Michoacan to Guadalajara not long before their deaths, hoping for better opportunities away from the violence in their home region.
