2 Chicagoans stuck in Mexico amid violence over death of cartel leader
Violence continues in Mexico following the killing of Jalisco cartel leader "El Mencho" over the weekend.
The U.S. State Department is warning Americans not to travel to several areas in Mexico along the west coast and along the border.
The violence began on Sunday after the Mexican army killed the cartel leader. Afterwards, members of the cartel began to set cars and buses on fire to block roads.
Much of the chaos is centered near Puerto Vallarta, where visitors are told to shelter in place.
Two Chicagoans are left stuck at the resorts. One of them said it's starting to feel less like normal because they can't leave and staff cannot get to work. Military personnel were stationed outside, and there's really no safe way out.
"Can you see over my left shoulder, the mountains? That's where the malecón is, the boardwalk, so to speak. and that is where there were 4 or 5 large, large plumes of smoke," said former anchor at WBBM Radio Pat Cassidy.
Cassidy is staying in a resort that on Sunday smelled of smoke.
"Generally speaking, the people here are, again, we're at a luxury resort on the beach and used to being pampered, I guess, and still are to a degree, but the staff can't get to work some of them, so they are closing some of the restaurants here, so people are starting to feel a little put out, but its hard to complain too much because its very comfortable."
He was told the roads are blocked. Something Yoni Pizer experienced firsthand.
"A young man running at us and my friend in the back seat shouted hes got a gun hes got a gun," Pizer said.
He was driving a rental car when he says someone pointed a gun at him. He said the gunman told him to get out of the car, before taking the car, driving a short distance away, and then throwing something into the car, causing it to explode.
"They got onto a bus and shot in the bus more just to let everybody know they were serious and get everybody off the bus, and then they immediately made the bus perpendicular to the road and set it on fire," he said.
Pizer said he, his husband, and friends started to run away. At some point, they got separated, and he said his husband ended up at a church. He said the priest there helped his husband and friend amid the chaos.
"Took my husband and a friend to an orphanage next to the church where they sheltered in place for the next eight hours."
They were eventually reunited.
Cassidy and Pizer were not scheduled to leave Mexico on Monday, so they're both riding out the rest of their time in the country, hoping they can make it out in a few days. A flight to Chicago is scheduled, but it was delayed.
