Tuesday March 28, 2023 | 6:00 a.m.
On Sunday afternoon, one of the owners of the San José sawmill, Carlos Mattes (60), went to the property to organize the work for the week to begin. In that instance, he noticed traces of what was first thought to be the action of petty thieves, who took money, but left many other things of value and a mess typical of those who searched every corner.
However, everything changed for the family of 9 de Julio when they reviewed the security cameras: the destruction had been done by armed people, with their faces covered and vests, with movements typical of a commando group, brandishing long weapons at 180 degrees like a professional with all the active senses. People ready for anything.
They were two subjects who shot to disable security cameras and, after violating the lock of an office, they stole 150,000 pesos in cash and a checkbook before fleeing. The fact greatly worries the Mattes family, who were forced to reinforce security and decided to publicize what happened to warn society.
The cameras were destroyed by shots.
Above all, they are very motivated to think about what would have happened if a worker was in the place -the company works every day a week, almost 24 hours- or one of them, who live very close to the family property, went to the site after hearing shots in the middle of the night.
Testimony
“This was on Saturday at 9 at night, but we found out what happened on Sunday. My father went to the company and noticed that the entrance door was forced and that the things in the office were all mixed up, on the floor,” said Paulo Mattes (30), Carlos’s son, in communication with this outlet.
The first measure was to call the police authorities, but when they reviewed the system was “when we were surprised,” said the interviewee. “There are two people with what looks like bulletproof vests, balaclavas, gloves, with two shotgun-type long weapons,” he described, still unable to understand the sequence.
They had ski masks, vests and gloves.
Carlos expressed that 9 de Julio is a very quiet municipality, which is why the deployment of criminals to attack a family business, which does not even have security personnel, draws his attention.
Likewise, he provided a shocking detail that they realized the day before: “Two of the cameras that were within reach of a person they disabled with shots. They are cameras that were within reach, but instead of removing them by hand, they shot them.” This means that what is seen in the images was real and that the criminals also knew how to use them very well.
“Those movies came in, with the same weapon they were aiming what they had in visual and I think they were not going to hesitate to shoot someone. They entered as a commando,” Mattes reaffirmed in a telephone communication.
The businessman explained that there are no security guards in the place, but they work rotating shifts because they have a dryer and sometimes at night they have to take care of the boiler. In any case, just that day there were no activities and no one ran into the criminals.
Paulo also explained that he and his relatives live near the sawmill -which is in the urban area- some just 100 meters away. That night they and many residents of the town heard the shots, but it occurred to no one that it could be at their company, so they did not go to find out what was happening.
Hypothesis and other fact
Regarding the investigation, it is not known so far how the assailants mobilized, although everything indicates that they arrived at the place on foot. What is striking is that although they took money, they left other elements such as computers and other electronic equipment.
“They are prepared people who had the ideal equipment for that task, that was what alerted us the most,” Mattes revealed.
And he added: “A few minutes before there was also a similar event at a neighbor’s house, who also tried to enter the family’s house and the house of the operator who lived next door. The day and time coincide, so it is very possible that they moved from that house to the sawmill or vice versa.”
Regarding the possibility that these people had an objective other than the assault, such as a kidnapping, Mattes expressed that “it gives one to think that they fired some shots so that someone would come closer and do more damage there.”
In this regard, there was also speculation that it could be a squeeze or intimidation because he is a candidate for mayor of the town, although Paulo believes that it was an act of insecurity that is not related to his political activity.
In any case, after the scare, the family took the initiative to improve the security system and is also advancing with the presence of a night watchman at the scene.
The members of the Regional Unit III of Eldorado worked on the site and the uniformed members of the Scientific Police carried out the rigorous tests to try to find elements that could lead to the violent.
Inquiries and rakes were made in the area, although until yesterday there were no major news on the progress of the investigation.
In figures
$150,000The criminals took 150,000 pesos in cash, an amount considered minor. They left computers and other electronic equipment.
