Mexico arrests local security chief for murder of Chilpancingo mayor

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican law enforcement announced on Tuesday the arrest of a top municipal security official for the assassination of the mayor of the capital of the violence-plagued state of Guerrero.

The murder and decapitation of Chilpancingo Mayor Alejandro Arcos shocked the country, coming just days after he took office.

Guerrero prosecutors said in a statement they had detained a man identified as German 'N,' in accordance with Mexican convention which does not give the full name of arrested suspects. A local government source confirmed the man's identity as German Reyes, the security chief for Chilpancingo, the state capital with a population of around 280,000 people in southwestern Mexico.

Arcos, 43, was killed in October, six days after he took office as mayor. He was found dead in his pick-up truck with his severed head left on top of the vehicle.

The murder sparked anger and resignation in a part of Mexico where many are tired of violence and the entrenchment of organized crime. It also marked an early test of the security policy of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who also took office last month.

"The Guerrero prosecutors' office, the Mexican army, and the National Guard, arrested a man for the crime of qualified homicide in Chilpancingo," the statement said.

The arrest appears to be further evidence of the deep involvement of organized crime in local government across swathes of Mexico and the corruption of local officials.

Reyes had a long career in Mexico's military, according to his public resume.

Just prior to his killing, Arcos left Chilpancingo in his truck without a driver or security escort, heading toward the nearby town of Petaquillas, Mexico's security minister previously disclosed. Local media reported that Arcos had met with members of Los Ardillos, a criminal group active in Guerrero, though Reuters could not independently verify that meeting.

(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; additional reporting by Kylie Madry; Writing by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Leslie Adler)