CV NEWS FEED // The brutal killing of a Catholic priest in Colombia earlier this month, which had appeared at first to be a random attack, is now the subject of a wider investigation as authorities discover evidence of a revenge killing.
According to a June 10 Crux report, Fr. Ramon Montejo, 45, was killed by two Venezuelan men on June 4 in the northeast border city of Ocaña as he was preparing to go to a church in the nearby district of Buenavista.
The men stabbed Fr. Montejo multiple times, before hitting and running the priest over with his own vehicle, which the assailants had stolen, according to CCTV footage. Police apprehended the suspects, José Antony Montilla Jovito, 29, and Misael Rodolfo Valdez Pedrosa, 21, later that same day.
Although authorities initially believed the attackers had only accidentally killed Fr. Montejo when he resisted their attempts to steal his vehicle, further investigation reportedly revealed an ulterior motive.
According to Crux, “investigators allegedly discovered that the priest previously knew Jovito and even tried to help him in the past. The crime was supposedly motivated by revenge, but no further details have been disclosed by the police yet.”
Fr. Montejo was known throughout the community as a leader in Ocaña, where he was involved in various humanitarian issues, including initiatives to end the “widespread problem” of kidnappings in Colombia.
The priest also reportedly acted as a mediator to help release victims from their captors, while also providing support to victims’ families.
Archbishop Jorge Alberto Osso Soto of Nueva Pamplona called the attack “a terribly painful occurrence” on local TV following Fr. Montejo’s funeral, according to the report. The Archbishop also released a statement on the day of the murder, condemning the “irrational violence that took the life of a priest who dedicated his life to spreading Jesus Christ’s message of peace and love.”
“We categorically repudiate a barbaric act that attacked not only the life of a human being, but also the fundamental principles of coexistence and humanity,” the statement added.
