Mexico quadruple homicide tied to alleged Bitcoin robbery attempt

Two suspects in the killing of four people in Mexico allegedly sought a cold wallet they believed held millions of dollars in Bitcoin, news outlet La Jornada reported on Saturday, citing an update from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Mexico (FGJEM).

Diego Sebastián and Gerardo, whose surnames were withheld, are scheduled for a court hearing on Wednesday, where a judge will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for criminal proceedings against them to continue, reported Diario de México on Sunday.

The FGJEM announced the arrests of the two suspects in a Sept. 2 X post.

According to La Jornada, prosecutors accuse the two men of killing Jonathan Meléndez, keyboardist for rock band Camilo Séptimo, his pregnant wife, his daughter and an employee in their home in the municipality of Atizapán de Zaragoza. The family’s golden retriever was also killed.

The FGJEM said the suspects could face 25 to 70 years in prison per homicide victim if convicted, according to La Jornada.

One suspect was a business associate of one of the victims and allegedly used the relationship to enter the home, Mexico’s security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, said in a Sept. 2 X post.

Physical attacks target crypto holders

Crypto wrench attacks involve violence or threats to force people to hand over cryptocurrency or access to their wallets. The first half of 2026 saw 20 publicly reported home invasions targeting crypto owners, up from a single incident during the same period a year earlier, according to blockchain security firm CertiK.

CertiK identified a total of 52 wrench attacks worldwide in the first half of 2026, up 33.3% from 39 incidents during the same period in 2025.

Attack type year-on-year, H1 2025 vs. H1 2026. Source: CertiK

In the first half of 2026, criminals stole over $30 million in crypto through wrench attacks, according to estimates from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

Related: Coldcard third-wave attacker moves 45% of stolen Bitcoin

In October 2025, attackers killed convicted Russian crypto fraudster Roman Novak and his wife after kidnapping them and demanding crypto wallet access, reported Russian news outlet Fontanka.

Wrench attacks increased by 75% in 2025 to 72 verified cases worldwide, according to CertiK. France recorded the most attacks last year, with 19 confirmed incidents, while Europe accounted for about 40% of all attacks globally in 2025.

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