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A 50-year-old Cuban identified as José Antonio «N» was transferred this Sunday to the Social Reintegration Center (CERESO) in Cancun after being formally charged with femicide, following his stabbing to death of his ex-partner in the kitchen of a bar and attempting to take his own life by ingesting muriatic acid.
The Attorney General's Office (FGE) of Quintana Roo confirmed today the issuance of an arrest warrant against the individual accused of femicide, following their discharge from the General Hospital on Saturday afternoon, where they had been since the previous Tuesday, reported the local media Por Esto.
Muriatic acid, also known as hydrochloric acid, is a highly corrosive substance commonly used for industrial and household cleaning. Ingestion can cause severe burns in the mouth, throat, and stomach, as well as serious internal damage, respiratory failure, and even death, depending on the amount ingested and the promptness of medical attention received.
The crime occurred in the early minutes of the morning on Tuesday, May 5, inside the bar "La Hija de Cuauhtémoc," located on Cancún Avenue in Supermanzana 510, just a few meters from Chac Mool Avenue.
According to investigations, José Antonio took a knife from the kitchen of the establishment where they both worked and stabbed the woman several times.
The victim, also of Cuban nationality and 33 years old, showed no vital signs when the paramedics from the Rescue and Medical Emergencies Squad (ERUM) arrived.
Co-workers witnessed the assault but fled out of fear of being attacked.
The investigations revealed that the motive was a romantic breakup: the victim had ended the relationship a month earlier and refused to get back together with him despite his constant insistence.
After committing the crime, the accused fled the bar on foot and ingested muriatic acid in an attempt to take his own life, although he only suffered internal injuries.
Elements of the Quintana Roo Citizen Security Secretariat located him in the vicinity of Region 510 thanks to preventive patrols.
At the time of his arrest, José Antonio had visible stains on his clothing, and according to the official statement from the Cancun Police, he reacted by "shouting insults and physically and verbally assaulting the officers."
The case adds to a documented pattern of gender-based violence against Cuban women murdered by their partners abroad: in 2025, the independent observatories OGAT (Alas Tensas) and Yo Sí Te Creo Cuba recorded 12 femicides of Cuban women outside the island, with Mexico among the countries with the highest incidence.
Cancún is home to a significant Cuban migrant community, many of whom work in the informal sector of bars and restaurants, as was the case with both individuals involved in this crime, according to reports when the Cuban woman was fatally stabbed by her ex-partner.
As of May 4, 2026, Cuba had already recorded 21 femicides, according to the Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas, with 83.3% of the cases committed by partners or ex-partners in 2025, a figure that reflects the magnitude of gender violence on the island.
Just days before this crime, another Cuban was charged in Cancún for assaulting his partner on a public transport bus, highlighting a troubling pattern among Cuban migrants in the region.
José Antonio "N" has been placed at the disposal of an investigative judge at CERESO to face criminal proceedings for femicide, a crime in Mexico that can carry sentences of up to 60 years in prison.
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