18.08.2026 18:11
A chilling assassination took place in Peru, where security risks directly threaten daily life due to street crime, extortion, and pressure from organized crime syndicates. A 43-year-old female lawyer was murdered by a helmeted hitman who shot her in the head while she sat with colleagues at a restaurant in broad daylight. The terrifying moments, which sparked widespread outrage in the country, were captured moment by moment on security cameras, while the main focus of the police investigation centers on suspicion related to a case filed against a cartel leader.
In the Pacasmayo province of Peru's La Libertad region, a horrifying assassination took place in broad daylight on Saturday, August 15. Helenn Giulianna Silva Padilla, a 43-year-old lawyer and mother of two, was killed in a gun attack while sitting with colleagues at a restobar in San José.
SHOT DIRECTLY IN THE HEAD FROM BEHIND THE RAILINGS
Silva Padilla, who arrived at the venue around 2:00 PM and was chatting with three people at a table, became the target of two attackers on a motorcycle. The gunman, wearing a dark helmet, got off the motorcycle, approached the iron railings of the venue, and shot the female lawyer directly in the head at close range.
The attacker, who did not touch the other people at the table, quickly disappeared by getting onto the motorcycle of his accomplice who was waiting for him.
Silva Padilla was taken to the hospital by those around her but could not be saved despite all interventions.
CARTEL SUSPICION
Following the terrifying moments captured moment by moment on security cameras, the Pacasmayo Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Depincri) launched a large-scale investigation. Teams scrutinized whether the lawyer had been followed before the attack, her phone traffic, and the cases she had undertaken. The police are focusing on the suspicion that the execution may be linked to a recently opened case against a cartel leader or other critical files the lawyer was following.