Rising star singer Chuy Montana was shot and killed by a group of kidnappers in Tijuana, Mexico.
According to local outlet Punto Norte, Tijuana police found the singer, born Jesús Cardenas, deceased on the side of a highway on Wednesday night. Per the cops, a group of armed men ambushed the 25-year-old on the Playas de Rosarito-Tijuana road in a kidnapping attempt. They first forced him into a vehicle, and when he managed to escape, he was then shot multiple times.
Chuy was found on the road with his wrists in handcuffs. Photos taken from the scene and obtained by the outlet also showed the musician lying beside an orange Renault Stepway van. It is unclear if anyone has been arrested yet for the death.
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The artist was signed to Street Mob Records — which is owned by the popular singer Jesús Ortiz Paz of the band Fuerza Regida. They released a statement via Instagram, mourning:
“On behalf of Street Mob Records, we deeply regret the passing of our colleague and brother Chuy Montana. We stand in solidarity with his family during this time of grief. We kindly request understanding and respect from the media at this difficult moment.”
Chuy first became famous online thanks to videos of him performing with his guitar at the Tijuana side of the San Ysidro US border. In one viral video, Ortiz Paz was in a car witnessing a performance before rolling down his window and offering to sign the up-and-coming star to his record label. The vocalist went on to earn millions of views on his YouTube music videos for songs like Porte de Scarface and Que Bendicion.
Just so, so sad he was taken so young. Sending our love to his family and friends. R.I.P.
To learn more about the impact of gun violence, visit https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence.
[Image via Chuy Montana/Instagram]