3 people charged with murdering a Hmong American comedian in Colombia
Three people have been jailed in the kidnapping and killing of Tou Ger Xiong, a Hmong American comedian and activist who was found dead near Medellín, Colombia, after going out to meet a woman he reportedly met on social media
BOGOTA, Colombia — Three people have been jailed in the kidnapping and killing of a Hmong American comedian and activist who was found dead near Medellín after going out to meet a woman he reportedly met on social media, Colombian officials announced Thursday.
The Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that two men and a woman were charged with the crimes of aggravated kidnapping for extortion and aggravated homicide in the death last month of Tou Ger Xiong, 50. The suspects denied the charges at a hearing, the statement said.
A minor who presented himself to the Public Prosecutor’s Office admitting to having participated in the crime also was charged in the case and transferred to a special detention center for minors, it added.
The U.S. Embassy in Bogota warned a week ago about Colombian criminals who use dating apps to lure victims and then assault and rob them. The embassy said it was aware of eight suspicious deaths of U.S. citizens in Medellín in the final two months of 2023, several involving the use of online dating apps.
According to the Bush Foundation, Xiong was an Hmong American comedian who shared his personal story to confront racial discrimination.
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