20-year-old Mexican police chief fired after failing to show up for work
Officials last week denied reports that Marisol Valles Garcia had abandoned her post.
March 7th, 2011
01:05 PM ET

20-year-old Mexican police chief fired after failing to show up for work

Police chief Marisol Valles Garcia has been fired, an official in Praxedis G. Guerrero, Mexico, said Monday.

The 20-year-old criminology student made headlines when she took the reins of the police force in one of the most violent cities in the border state of Chihuahua. It's common for police officers in Praxedis to be abducted and killed.

"Marisol did not show up for work this morning as she was expected," town secretary Andres Morales said. "Since she was on a personal leave that expired today and did not reach out to us over the weekend, she now faces termination.  It is now an official matter.  We don't know anything about her whereabouts. Our attempts to get a hold of her during the weekend were unsuccessful."

Praxedis Mayor Jose Luis Guerrero told CNN last week that Valles Garcia was on personal leave because her 8-month-old baby was sick. He said she was expected back at work Monday.

"Marisol, in fact, still works here and she's still getting paid. She comes back on Monday," he said.

Praxedis is located about 35 miles southeast of Ciudad Juarez, one of the bloodiest cities in world.

Read CNN's full coverage of the young police chief's firing
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Filed under: Crime • Drugs • Mexico
soundoff (432 Responses)
  1. Hail to the Chief wearing diapers

    Sounds like they are scraping the bottom of the barrel to me....
    20 years old, and police chief.....hell she just learned how to tie her shoes....and balance her check book..
    Gimme a break

    March 7, 2011 at 12:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • Brian

      Maybe if someone else had the nerve to step forward then they wouldn't have had to hire a 20 year old student.

      March 7, 2011 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
    • Sean

      @Brian

      I think you just made his point.

      March 7, 2011 at 5:08 pm | Report abuse |
  2. damie oyibo

    I hope she is ok. Are they looking for her?

    March 7, 2011 at 12:10 pm | Report abuse |
  3. GoodAdvice

    They fired her for not coming in this morning when they have no idea where she is? She's received so many death threats it's ridiculous and she works, as it says, in one of the bloodiest cities in the world. Not that she should be given leniency for not coming into work, but how about checking to make sure she's not dead before saying, "well, she's three and a half hours late, better cut her loose"?

    March 7, 2011 at 12:10 pm | Report abuse |
  4. bbebbetter

    Mexico sucks.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
    • Michael

      You suck, you idiot.

      March 7, 2011 at 12:30 pm | Report abuse |
  5. bailoutsos

    Rather be fired than fired upon.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Mary

    Yes I did read that she was trying to flee the country for fear of her life and if no one has heard from her then she may not be fond anytime soon.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:12 pm | Report abuse |
  7. R

    I wonder if they killed her over the weekend...

    March 7, 2011 at 12:12 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Bigfun

    This is crazy. You mean to tell me that someone finally took the job when no one else would take it and you are worried about her not showing up for work one day. How about making sure she is alive and doing well. I thing your priorties are in the wrong place, but what do you expect in a country who dont have the balls to govern it nor take care of business you you have to put in the hands of a child.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:13 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Tom

    Gee,I can't beleive a young girl like that to be a police chief.I hope she's all right for the sake of the baby.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:14 pm | Report abuse |
  10. db

    Isn't thjis the same 20 year old that took off for the USA and asked for aslyum? Sounds like the smartest thing that any mexican in that position could do and still live. The survival time of a Mexican Police Chief today is about as long as the average Viet Nam Helicopter pilot was during that war, about a month.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:14 pm | Report abuse |
  11. ken

    folks – she had been in the us seeking asylumn according to an earlier articles with more facts.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:14 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Mike in SA

    Ummm...This just in...she's in Texas and seeking asylum.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:15 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Hector

    I also read that she fled to a Texas border town in the U.S and was seeking asylum because her life was threatened. Apparently the cartels wanted her to work for them and she refused, so they threatened to kill her.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:15 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Mah Boy

    That's one job I'd be thankful to be fired from.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:16 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Mary

    @ Mike in SA , were did u hear that

    March 7, 2011 at 12:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mah Boy

      It was in another article.

      March 7, 2011 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
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