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. Joe Talks

    These jokers want to fire her because she was unreacable over her off time weekend, that is nice and absurd to the lowest point......bring all these jokers to the front of the sheriff's office and you will see how quick this woman will call for duty again...

    March 7, 2011 at 12:50 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Centrist

    If she were doing landscaping, cooking, or construction then she'd be there 15 minutes early ready for work.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:50 pm | Report abuse |
  3. zzzzzz

    What a brave woman. I hope she and her child are still alive. Stay safe, Marisol.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:53 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Arturo

    @ rc your mother also multiplied one to many times!!!

    March 7, 2011 at 12:56 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Ezequiel Ochoa

    run for your life.... she did good

    March 7, 2011 at 12:56 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Name*Harvey has no brains

    Harvey, why don't you go to hell, ignorant loser

    March 7, 2011 at 12:56 pm | Report abuse |
  7. hoofleau

    I don't blame her for not showing up. The US ought to grant her asylum and employ her as a consultant for the DEA. She is young and bright and should not have to die an early death at the hands of the cartels and corrupt law enforcement.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:56 pm | Report abuse |
  8. TOM

    I'm sure she was on personal leave (apparently not "vacation" for a good reason). She was proabably getting alot of threats etc and decided to take off......and not come back. Who would blame her. Mexico is a crap hole. They crapped up, overpopulated, and undereducated their country – and now all want to come here and do the same.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:57 pm | Report abuse |
  9. One Nation Under God

    If the mexican people would stand up for themselves they wouldn't be in this situation right now that whole country is a mess and nobody wants to stand up I do applaud this child and calderon for standing up against this violence

    March 7, 2011 at 12:58 pm | Report abuse |
  10. johnny

    20yr old girl? You think maybe she realized how danger the job was after he friends informed her on Facebook? This was after she answered the Craigs List ad. " Wanted..High paying job as the chief of Police! Excellent benefits and total control of the city. 401k not offered because you won't need it. Willing to train a successor..fast lol.

    March 7, 2011 at 12:58 pm | Report abuse |
  11. spoo

    she is the the US seeking medical attention for her baby, you morons

    March 7, 2011 at 12:59 pm | Report abuse |
  12. MXD

    I think this girl has been facing "termination" ever since she took the job.

    btw – since her baby is only 8 months old, did the girl get pregnant at her "I'll be Chief of Police" announcement party??

    March 7, 2011 at 1:00 pm | Report abuse |
  13. eve

    I'm glad she left. She would have been killed and possibly her baby as well, those cartel men are nothing but animals..

    March 7, 2011 at 1:04 pm | Report abuse |
  14. wally zebco

    After reading the comments I guess "having balls" is very different than having an education. Look at that guy who didn't cross the street in front of a speeding bus, he must not have any balls. This is a stupid way to make an argument.

    March 7, 2011 at 1:04 pm | Report abuse |
  15. redmonde

    although some of you are making jokes about this.. this is a serious situation. I really hope that she is over here in the US with her family in a safer enviornment. Although with reading this article I'm left with questions of, if the ones in charge over there really good people or puns in the cartel attempting to hide what they have done to her and her family. Praying that Marisol Valles Garcia and her family are okay.. and don't worry about what others say Marisol, At LEAST YOU STEPPED UP AND TRIED to make difference in your hometown.

    March 7, 2011 at 1:05 pm | Report abuse |
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