MEXICO CITY, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mexican authorities arrested a suspect believed to be involved in the slaying of journalist Mario Gomez in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas, authorities said Monday.
According to a Chiapas prosecutor, the suspect was arrested in the course of investigation into the shooting death of Gomez, who was gunned down on Friday in the municipality of Yajalon.
"A male suspect has been detained and in the coming hours there could be more arrests in this tragic event," the prosecutor's office said in a brief statement.
Gomez, 40, had a journalistic career that spanned more than a decade. He worked as a correspondent for El Heraldo de Chiapas in Yajalon, which is located in the mountains in northern Chiapas.
According to local media reports, Gomez covered corruption, murders and civil complaints in Yajalon which is home to the indigenous Tzeltal.
Gomez died at a hospital moments after being shot by gunmen who fired six times from a motorcycle outside the victim's home, according to the prosecutor.
"We have been able to determine his murder was connected to his work as a journalist," said Luis Alberto Sanchez, homicide prosecutor.
According to El Heraldo de Chiapas, the suspect in custody is an alleged drug trafficker in Yajalon who rides a motorcycle to get around. This detail was not confirmed in the release.
Journalists continued to protest on Monday in Tuxtla Gutierrez, the state capital, to demand justice for Gomez, who once declared before the prosecutor that he had been the target of threats last year.
Organizations that defend the press said that Mexico was one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with dozens murdered since the turn of the century.
Mexico's Ministry of the Interior has recorded 139 homicides of journalists in various states across the country from 2001 to June of this year.
