A trio of criminals in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo attempted to mug a Dominican soldier using a knife, in what resulted in a bloodbath in broad daylight. The incident took place on Duarte Avenue, one of the city's poorer areas, which has in recent years become the scene of frequent muggings. The residents of the area are traumatized to the extent that they're often afraid to use their cell phones in public.
Two of the muggers managed to escape the scene of the crime after the would-be victim shot one in the chest. Most muggers in the Dominican Republic use motorcycles and carry firearms, indicating that this trio was relatively new to the game.
Had the muggers succeeded in disarming the would-be victim, it is likely that they would have taken his firearm and thereafter used it to carry out more elaborate crimes. Dominican soldiers and police officers are regularly gunned down in the country, with criminals targeting them to make away with their weapons. Black market guns in the Dominican Republic usually can be sold for 500 to a 1000 US dollars.
The would-be assailant seen bleeding out in the video was wearing flip-flops, indicating that this was likely a crime of desperation. A good Samaritan tried loading him onto the back of a motorcycle to take him to a hospital, but the victim was too far gone and succumbed to his wounds.
