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GirouxFilms

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PUBLISHED: 11:14 EST, 7 January 2014 | UPDATED: 21:14 EST, 7 January 2014
  • Thomas Berry and Monica Spear Mootz were stranded after car broke down
  • They were shot in front of their daughter, five year old Maya, who was injured in the attack
  • She was Miss Venezuela in 2004 and is a famous TV actress
  • Spear Mootz has American citizenship and is a graduate of the University of Central Florida
A British man and his beauty queen ex-wife have been murdered in front of their five-year-old daughter in a horrific robbery in Venezuela.

Thomas Berry, 39, from London and 2004's Miss Venezuela, Monica Spear Mootz, 29, who is also an American citizen, were gunned down by thieves after their car ground to a halt on the Puerto-Cabello to Valencia highway.

Armed men came up the car as they waited for a repair truck, and the terrified couple locked themselves in their Toyota Corolla. But the robbers opened fire through the windows.

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Happy: Mr Berry, 39, with Mrs Spear. He was an independent travel consultant based in Caracas
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Horrific: Robbers got through the car windscreen when the terrified family locked themselves in the Toyota Corolla

The bodies of Mr Berry and Ms Spear were found in the car with their daughter, who was injured in the leg.

It is not yet known if the child, who is now under the protection of the authorities and is believed to be called Maya, was shot by assailants.

Ms Spear was a famous TV actress following her pageant victory and appeared in a number of telenovelas (South American soap operas), with her roll in 'Forbidden Passions' the most notable.

She was well-known throughout the Spanish-speaking world as a result.

She was a graduate of the University of Central Florida, had American citizenship and her parents live in Orlando, Florida.

Mr Berry, who describes himself as an independent travel consultant in an online profile, lives in the capital Caracas, reports El Universal. He moved to Florida after he was shot 15 years ago, but couldn't resist the lure of the country he loved.

It is understood they separated but were still close friends and holidayed together for the sake of their daughter.

His parents are understood to be in Puerto Cabello having identified the bodies.

Luis Dominguez, who ran an adventure tour company with Berry told NBC he spoke to him on Sunday. 'They were having the greatest time', he said. 'He said, I'll see you soon'.

A friend of the family, Carlos Drakkar, 38, a Colombian graphic designer who lives in Caracas, said: 'This is a very difficult moment for all of us to deal with. We are doing all we can to help out friends in this difficult moment. These things happen all too often in this country. Something has to change.'

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Thomas Berry and Monica Spear Mootz on their wedding day in June 2008. They were murdered by gunmen in front of their daughter
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Ms Spear was a famous TV actress following her 2004 pageant victory and appeared in a number of TV soap operas

Venezuela's public prosecutor has appointed two separate investigators to the case, while the CICPC, Venezuela's SWAT police force unit, has been deployed to nearby slums for answers.

Commissioner Daniel Alvarez , head of the CICPC's homicide division, promised 'fast results in this awful case.'

The Foreign Office say it is aware of the reports and are looking into it with the assistance of its offices in Venezuela.

A spokesman said: 'We are aware of reports of the death of a British national on 6 January in Venezuela.

'We stand ready to provide consular assistance to the family.'

Venezuela is one the most violent places in Latin America and armed robberies, carjackings and kidnappings are rife.

The annual murder rate in Caracas alone is an average of 80 murders per 100,000 people, the third highest in the world.

Majority of murders occur in the slums where police presence is minimal. Eastern Caracas is home to South America’s largest slum, named Petare with more than two million residents, where the police to public ratio is 1 officer to every 3,000 people.

There were an estimated 24,000 murders in 2013, one of the world’s highest homicide rates. It has tripled in the previous decade.

Gun ownership is also high, with an estimated 15m unlicensed weapons in circulation.

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Beauty: Monica Spear Mootz represented Venezuela in the 54th annual Miss Universe competition
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Ms Spear with Maya, who was born in October 2008. Media reports say the child's leg was injured in the horrific encounter

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...hter-5-car-broke-South-American-motorway.html
 
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Sad. I hope they get answers. I wonder if they were set up. Ya know sabotage the car and follow until it breaks down then rob and kill those inside.
Glad the baby survived.
 
BBC's website says "something spiky" was on the road. One suspects it could have been put there on purpose, though why the robbers would have waited three quarters of an hour before attacking in that case, I do not know.
 
It sounds like the road itself was booby trapped for a victim. Whether or not the robbers knew that they would score people of higher caliber is another story.
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25653333

Ms Spear, Mr Berry and their daughter were travelling at night from the city of Merida to the capital, Caracas, when they hit a sharp object "placed on the road", according to Venezuela's investigative police chief Jose Gregorio Sierralta.

At least two of the four tyres were punctured, he said.

According to Mr Sierralta, five people attacked the family after their car had been lifted onto a tow-truck.

The three locked themselves in their car, and according to Mr Sierralta, the attackers opened fire when they could not reach the family inside the vehicle.

He said the drivers of the tow-truck were being questioned.
 
five people attacked the family after their car had been lifted onto a tow-truck.
This sentence implies that "help" had arrived. Was the "help" the attackers or did the help simply watch the attack happen?
 
This sentence implies that "help" had arrived. Was the "help" the attackers or did the help simply watch the attack happen?

The article doesn't say. From the mention that the drivers of the tow truck are being questioned, I get the impression they may be under suspicion? On the other hand they could just have had rotten luck and too much self-preservation instinct to get between rich people they've never met before and robbers.
 
I mean if the help was truly help and only witnessed it I'm not about to say they should have done more or something, the attackers killed these folks so I'm sure if there were witnesses then their options were limited. It just sucks monkey dick if the "help" ended up being the help to end their lives.
 
Probably set the trap, wait for the distress call and go rob the victims, wouldn't be surprised if the murderers were investigating themselves
 
one of the pos, a teen was just arrested, meet Gerardo Jose Contreras:
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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/teen-arrested-killing-venezuela-husband-article-1.2097897
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CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan authorities say a man sought for a year in the killing of a former Miss Venezuela and her husband has been caught, bringing to 11 the number of suspects detained for the crime.

Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz says 19-year-old Gerardo Jose Contreras was arrested Thursday in the western state of Yaracuy. He faces charges including homicide and aggravated robbery.

Last September, three men were each sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for the killing of Monica Spear and husband Thomas Henry Berry, who were slain in January 2014 when they resisted a robbery attempt while stranded on a lonely stretch of highway.

Spear was a 2004 Miss Venezuela and popular soap opera actress.

Oil-rich Venezuela has one of the world's highest homicide rates.'
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beautiful woman may she rest in peace
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three men were each sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for the killing of Monica Spear and husband Thomas Henry Berry

Just 20 years? Venezuala pretty pussy on crime too huh?

What the fuck were these rich folks thinking vacationing in such a dangerous, shitstain country?
 
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