San Juan – One of Puerto Rico's deadliest months in recent years has closed, with 78 killings reported in January as the US territory struggles with a surge in violent crime and growing discontent among tens of thousands of police officers.
The killings include a 20-year-old woman found kneeling and burned to death inside a car in the upscale city of Guaynabo and a triple homicide reported in the eastern mountain town of San Lorenzo.
Sen. Miguel Laureano called it a dramatic situation that requires immediate attention.
The majority of people killed last month were young men shot to death. The central mountain town of Caguas reported the highest number of homicides at 18, followed by the capital of San Juan with 14.
