Toddler Killed as Mom Flees Tijuana Shootout

Child's sustained fatal injures in crash

TIJUANA, MEXICO -- A toddler died in Tijuana after his mother crashed her car while trying to flee a shootout.

Officials said the shootout began Wednesday when state police tried to stop three armed men driving through the city. The men then opened fire on police.

According to Tijuana officials, the mother was driving an SUV along Casa Blanca Boulevard in the La Presa neighborhood at around 9 p.m. when she was caught in the crossfire. Police said she crashed her vehicle into the back of a truck while trying to escape the bullets.

The mother and her 1-year-old son were both taken to a local hospital, where the child later died. It appears the child died of injuries sustained in the accident because emergency officials found no signs of bullet wounds.

An officer was also hurt in the shooting, but his injuries are not serious. 
 
Two men were arrested by police for their alleged involvement shortly afterward.

Tijuana has seen nearly nightly killings recently as Mexico is swept up in a wave of drug-related killings. Officials blame the violence on cartels fighting over lucrative smuggling routes.

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