Mexican musician Jonathan Meléndez, his pregnant wife, their three-year-old daughter and a household worker were killed in an alleged robbery targeting a cold wallet that the attackers believed contained millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
Estado de México prosecutors arrested Diego Sebastián “N” and Gerardo “N” over the September 1 killings in Atizapán de Zaragoza. Meléndez’s six-year-old son survived the attack, while the family’s dog was also killed.
Investigators allege that Diego Sebastián had a business relationship with Meléndez and used that connection to gain access to the residence. Prosecutors reconstructed the suspects’ arrival from surveillance footage, witness testimony and evidence recovered during the investigation.
The pair allegedly believed Meléndez controlled a cold wallet containing Bitcoin worth millions of dollars. Diego Sebastián had allegedly promised Gerardo two million Mexican pesos for helping recover the crypto, while investigators are still determining whether any digital assets were transferred after the killings.
Authorities have not established publicly how much Bitcoin Meléndez actually controlled or whether the wallet the suspects were seeking was recovered. The investigation instead places the believed existence of the crypto holdings at the center of the alleged robbery motive.
Diego Sebastián and Gerardo were arrested within hours and later transferred to the Barrientos prison in Tlalnepantla. Both are accused of qualified homicide involving four victims, unlawful termination of a pregnancy and animal cruelty.
The case falls into a growing category of physical attacks where criminals target the person controlling crypto rather than attempting to compromise a blockchain, exchange or wallet application.
More than $30 million has been stolen through violent crypto attacks during 2026, with Chainalysis recording 46 incidents through late June. Home invasions represented 37% of documented cases, while kidnappings accounted for 52%. Family members and associates have increasingly become targets themselves.
A Kraken and Coinbase customer lost about $6.7 million in May after attackers apparently forced access to exchange accounts. U.S. prosecutors have separately charged three men over a $245 million Bitcoin robbery plot that allegedly targeted relatives of a person connected to a major crypto theft.
A judge ordered both defendants to remain in preventive detention while the criminal proceedings continue. The homicide charges carry potential sentences of 25 to 70 years for each victim, while the pregnancy and animal-cruelty charges carry additional possible prison terms.
The court extended the initial constitutional period at the defense’s request before deciding whether the two men should formally proceed to trial.
Their continuation hearing is scheduled for September 9 at 9:30 a.m., when the court is expected to determine whether Diego Sebastián and Gerardo will be formally bound over for prosecution.
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