An 8-year-old child died and a 2-year-old suffered severe burns after cartel operatives stormed a house in northern Mexico and kidnapped their father. They torched the residence before escaping. Fire personnel initially rescued the children and mother from the burning structure.

Cartel gunmen in Empalme, Sonora, stormed a residence in Colonia Libertad Tuesday evening at approximately 6:50 pm and kidnapped an adult male identified as José de Jesús aka “El Pelón.” After kidnapping him at gunpoint, the intruders ignited gasoline throughout the residence. The children were identified as Dayron, 8, and Keyla, 2. Authorities identified the mother as 31-year-old Perla Verónica. Rescue personnel from Guaymas responded to the 911 call. Dayron eventually died from his injuries but his sister was flown to a specialized hospital in Sacramento, California. The children suffered 2nd-degree burns over 90 percent of their bodies, according to local reports.

The Empalme region is experiencing an escalation in cartel violence. On July, 1,800 Mexican National Guard personnel deployed to the state to intervene in the turf wars attributed to disputes between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Beltran Leyva organization’s regionally aligned gangs. In June, cartel shooters opened fire on a police substation in the eastern section of Guaymas.

In August, a municipal police commander was killed by multiple cartel gunmen as he was driving his vehicle. His death marked the seventeenth officer murdered in Sonora.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce completed work assignments in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year tour in Monterrey, Mexico, for the U.S. Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program. As the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico in charge of the Mexican states of, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas) You can follow him on Twitter or reach him at robertrarce@gmail.com.