An investigation is underway after the burned body of a missing Delaware man was found in Puerto Rico over the weekend.
Tariq Quadir Loat, 24, of Wilmington, was visiting the La Perla neighborhood of Old San Juan with a friend on Saturday. Police Commissioner Antonio López Figueroa said Loat and his friend were there to purchase unspecified drugs, according to the Associated Press.
Loat and his friend got off a bus and began taking pictures when they were confronted by a crowd who told them not to take photos because it would attract police. Loat and his friend were then attacked by members of the crowd following an argument.
Police said the two men were beaten with items including an exercise weight, a piece of wood and a deep fryer.
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Loat’s friend managed to escape and was later hospitalized. Loat was then reported missing by his family.
On Sunday, a burned body was found in Vega Baja, a municipality on the coast of north central Puerto Rico located about 20 miles west of San Juan. Authorities in Puerto Rico identified the body as Loat and determined he died from a gunshot wound.
No arrests have been made and the attackers have not yet been identified. Police continue to investigate.
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The last reported killing of a tourist in Puerto Rico was in February 2020.
