The La Mora community in Sonora, Mexico
MEXICO CITY, Nov 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 100 members of a U.S.-Mexican community of Mormon origin have left their homes in northern Mexico after an ambush killed nine of their number, relatives said.
Since the massacre last week of three mothers and six children by suspected cartel gunmen, families have been streaming out of La Mora, a remote farming village in the state of Sonora, said Taylor Langford, a relative of the victims.
He estimated that around 150 people had left the village, representing about 60% of the local residents.
Some of the members were leaving temporarily, others permanently, but almost all would return if security were better, said Langford, 27, who grew up in La Mora and now lives in Utah.
The women and children were killed after coming under fire on a remote dirt road east of La Mora, which lies 130 km south of the U.S.-Mexico border, as they drove in three vehicles toward the neighboring state of Chihuahua.
Three Mexicans who work with families in La Mora said only four of the community’s 34 homes remain occupied.
There were feelings of sadness and relief for members of the offshoot Mormon community from Sonora, Mexico, as a caravan left the La Mora colony Saturday morning. About 100 people were part of the caravan fleeing the violence that shattered their lives.
Some are never coming back. They’ve said their final goodbyes, noting it’s not worth living in fear.
The exodus came hours after the final funeral for the victims was held, this one for Christina Langford. She was among the three women and six children murdered in Monday’s drug cartel ambush. Survivors say as Langford’s SUV came under attack, she jumped out and waved her hands to show her family wasn’t a threat.
The community — whose origins in this part of Mexico date back more than a century — watched as the violent drug wars picked up. In recent months, members became increasingly concerned about reports of cartel hit men canvassing the area.
Some of the victims’ relatives have vowed to stay.
“When we face a tragic event like this, we don’t run,” Lienzo Widmar told CBS News. “We seek answers. We try to solve it.”
But the violence is a problem even the governments have failed to solve. Those who fled Saturday will join family in Tucson and Phoenix, and more members are expected to follow. — NNN-AGENCIES
