A suspected incel allegedly killed his ex, her mother, and a taxi driver after joining an anti-feminist group.
Pablo Rodríguez Laurta was arrested over the murders and the kidnapping of his five-year-old son.
Luna Giardina, 24, had returned from Uruguay to Córdoba, Argentina, with her son to escape Pablo’s violent abuse.
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Both she and her mother, 54-year-old Zoraida Mariel Zamudio, were shot dead in their home last Saturday (11 Oct), with Luna killed by a shot to the head.
After the crime, Pablo fled with his son, but authorities caught them at a hotel in Gualeguaychú the next day.
A gun and five phones were seized.
Officials believe he planned to take his son back to his native Uruguay by boat.
Days earlier, on 7 October, Pablo had crossed illegally into Argentina by canoe and travelled to Concordia by bus.
On 9 October, taxi driver Martín Sebastián Palacio, 49, was reported missing after failing to respond to his family.
Pablo had hired him to drive from Concordia to Rafaela. Authorities believe he stole Martín’s car and killed him at the start of the journey.
The driver’s headless, armless body was later found in a bin bag near Yeruá, as reported by NeedToKnow.
CCTV footage showed Pablo driving the car, which was found burned outside Córdoba, and Martín’s wallet was recovered in Pablo’s possession.
Pablo was active in anti-feminist groups, including Varones Unidos, known for its hateful messages targeting women and LGBTQ+ people.
Incels are members of an online subculture, mainly heterosexual men who are unable to find a romantic partner despite wanting one.
They often blame and carry out acts of violence against women as a result.
According to Luna, he once commented on a news story about a man who killed his ex-wife: “It’s surprising that these outcomes aren’t even more frequent.”
Three years ago, Luna fled with her son after Pablo allegedly tried to strangle her.
She reported him in 2023 and was granted a restraining order. A year later, Pablo was arrested and jailed for a month for violating it.
In her complaint, she said: “Since our relationship began, he manipulated me and forced me to do things I didn’t want – having sex when I didn’t want, going to Uruguay when I didn’t want, not allowing me to have social media, a phone, or to work.
“When I was pregnant, he would hit me, claiming they ‘weren’t really slaps’ because they weren’t hard.”
Following their separation, courts ruled that the boy should remain with Luna in Córdoba. The child, now six, is currently living with her family.
Pablo is exercising his right to remain silent. A psychiatric evaluation has found him fit to stand trial.
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