PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – In a horrific ordeal that began in late March, Quebec native Patrick Larochelle has revealed his ordeal of being kidnapped, robbed, beaten, and raped by a group of criminals in Puerto Vallarta. The traumatic experience has left the victim scarred both physically and emotionally.
Larochelle, who has lived for five years in the Jalisco region with his partner, Enrique Mucino, had his life turned upside down on March 23rd. The incident began at a local bar, a familiar haunt for him, where he was reportedly drugged with GHB by the locals.
His recollection of the day is blurry at best. “Until 7 p.m., it’s very blurry for me,” Larochelle states. His spouse described how, upon returning home, they had argued and Larochelle had left, despite his usual reluctance to go out at night due to poor night vision. When he next regained consciousness, he was at a bus stop, a location that would mark the beginning of his nightmare.
A van pulled over and Larochelle was pulled into it by four men who he recognized as the same individuals who had drugged and robbed him at the bar earlier, taking his passport, computer, and phone. The criminals showed a level of sophistication, disabling the tracking on his phone and computer.
Over the course of the night, Larochelle was brutally beaten and raped by his captors. A violent blow to his head knocked him out and when he awoke, he found himself abandoned in a garbage bag, naked, in the middle of nowhere.
Roughly a week later, Larochelle received a message from a Mexican woman, claiming to work at the bar where the tragic events began and alleging to have his stolen possessions. However, the police intervened and arrested the woman before she could return the items to him. She was later released.
Fearing reprisals, Larochelle has since relocated from Puerto Vallarta to Cancún with his partner, following advice from the local Canadian consulate. Despite pleas from his family and friends to return home, Larochelle has remained in Mexico, unwilling to leave Mucino, whom he credits for helping him through the ordeal.
Larochelle’s interactions with the local police were far from smooth. Investigators from Fiscalia, the police branch of the Attorney General of the State of Mexico, took over the case. Larochelle alleges that the authorities refused to allow him to directly contribute to the investigation without undergoing a psychological evaluation. He described his only interaction with them as an “intimidating interrogation”.
After filing the official complaint, it took over two weeks before a doctor could examine Larochelle to confirm the assault and to conduct an HIV test. Throughout the 28-day post-exposure treatment, he never received the test results, leading to a heightened level of anxiety. On June 5, Larochelle finally tested negative for HIV, providing him some relief amid the continuing turmoil.
Despite the physical and emotional scars, Larochelle remains hopeful, stating, “Now I have to recover from all these events and take charge of my life.”
