Mexican Police is Protecting Canadian Murder Victim's Girlfriend in Cabo San Lucas

When 29-year-old Vancouver resident Bouabal Bounthavorn answered the door at the Hotel Riu, a five-star hotel in Cabo San Lucas, he tussled with a lone gunman, who then fired three shots into his head, killing him. His girlfriend, 24-year-old Masha Heikali, was shot in the foot and is recovering in British Columbia.

Cabo San Lucas is a resort city at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula.

Violence to Canadian tourists in Mexico is fairly rare, with a half dozen violent attacks over a period of three years. Gar Pardy, Canada's former top consular official, said Canadians should not jump to conclusions about violence in Mexico because the numbers of people killed are "a blip" compared to the vast number who travel there.

Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs has not issued an official warning about the country, but warns travellers to exercise a high degree of caution for a number of reasons, among them "high levels of criminal activity." About a million Canadians visit Mexico each year.

Although few details are available, the execution-style method of attack leads authorities to question if this was a random incident. Pardy is expecting more information because of the eyewitness to the attack. There are reports that Bounthavorn argued briefly with the attacker.

Authorities have no leads or motive, but are searching aggressively for the attacker, described as a tall, thin, dark-skinned man. "It's very important for me and for all the people working (on this investigation) that we catch the people who did this crime," said Luis Diegas Gasso, spokesperson for the Cabo San Lucas police.

Mon. May. 19 2008 12:59 PM ET

The Canadian Press

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- Mexican police say they are protecting the girlfriend of a Canadian tourist who was killed in Mexico's Cabo San Lucas beach resort.

Police say 29-year-old Bouabal Bounthavorn was fatally shot late Thursday after he opened the door of his room at the Hotel Riu and argued briefly with an unknown man.

His girlfriend was wounded in the ankle and treated at a local hospital.

State police Cmdr. Enrique Wuilar says that authorities have no leads or motive in the killing.

They have set up roadblocks and are monitoring the airport for the killer, described as a tall, thin, dark-skinned man.