Police have identified and arrested seven suspects in connection with the murders of former Miss Venezuela Monica Spear and her ex-husband — and investigators say it's all thanks to her camera.
The head of Venezuela's national crime investigation agency told CNN Thursday authorities found a camera Spear had been using to photograph the Venezuelan countryside inside one of the seven suspects' homes.
The Los Angeles Times reports the suspects include two teenagers and a 39-year-old woman. According to the outlet, police claim all three belong to a gang.
Police say they are also on the hunt for four more suspects in the shootings of Spear and Thomas Henry Berry, who were both found dead on the side of the road near Puerto Cabello Monday night. (Via Sky News)
According to authorities, the two were driving with their five-year-old daughter, Maya, when they got a flat tire and stopped on the side of the road. Their killers then reportedly approached the vehicle and tried to rob them. (Via Euronews)
Police say the family tried to resist the robbery attempt by locking themselves inside, but that didn't stop their killers from shooting at them through the windows.
Officials said in a statement Tuesday Maya was in stable condition after being treated for a leg wound she suffered during the attack. She is reportedly now with relatives in Caracas and will attend her parents' funerals. (Via Hollywood Life)
Authorities in Venezuela say violence on the country's roads and highways is common. According to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, nearly 25,000 violent deaths took place there last year alone. The country has a population of about 30 million.
None of the suspects arrested in this most recent act of violence have been charged, but police say there is evidence linking each of them to the double murder.
