Crime 14-Year-Old Boy Nicknamed 'El Chapito' Arrested for Drug-Related Murder of 8 People The child has been charged over the deadly attack on a family birthday party in Mexico By Brandon Livesay Published on March 17, 2023 11:16 AM Share Tweet Pin Email A 14-year-old boy nicknamed "El Chapito" has been arrested over the killing of eight people at a birthday party near Mexico City. The incident happened when a group of armed men on motorcycles rode up to the party in the Fundidores neighborhood of Chimalhuacán on January 22. El Chapito — whose nickname appears to be a reference to the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman — and another gang member known as "El Ñoño" then opened fire on the celebration and fled, according to a statement from Mexico's Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection. Three adults died at the scene of the shooting and another five people died while receiving medical care at local hospitals, authorities said. A further seven more people were wounded, including a child under 3 and a child under 14, they added. Alamy Stock Photo El Ñoño and El Chapito were arrested for the multiple murders this week and a total of nine gang members have been charged for their involvement in the deadly shooting. Investigators tracked down the alleged hitmen after arresting their gang leader, 28-year-old "El Lenguas", on Feb. 25. El Chapito — whose real name has not been released — has been transferred to a Specialized Control Judge in the Comprehensive Criminal Justice System for Adolescents, authorities said. The other accused gang members were taken to the Neza-Bordo Penitentiary and Social Reintegration Center. ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP via Getty Images Mexican Drug Cartel Writes Apology Letter After 2 Americans Killed in Deadly Kidnapping: Report Drug-related crimes have plagued Mexico in recent years, and El Chapo's demise has been a factor in the violence. The former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was extradited to the U.S. in 2017 after escaping from jail twice in Mexico. He is currently serving a life sentence after being found guilty of drug trafficking and money laundering in 2019. The Council on Foreign Relations said El Chapo's extradition created a "power vacuum" in Mexico which has since caused rival factions to attempt to gain new territory. Eduardo Verdugo/AP Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Cartels and drug gangs in Mexico have long been known to use children to carry out their violent crimes. Child assassin Edgar Jimenez Lugo, known as "El Ponchis", was jailed for killing four people by the time he was 14 years old. El Ponchis told Mexican authorities his first murder was at the age of 11, and his victim's headless bodies were displayed hanging under bridges, The Atlantic reported.