A close resemblance in Mexico's grenade-attack case

Making headlines in Mexico today is the close resemblance between the man pictured in a composite sketch of a suspect sought in last week's grenade attacks in the state of Michoacan and ... the city's police chief.

Eight people were killed and more than a hundred injured when two grenades went off -- one in the central plaza full of people, the other on a street corner full of people watching the celebratory fireworks during Independence Day festivities in the city center.

The city's public-security chief, Mario Bautista Ramírez, has said he was one of the first people to arrive after the blasts on the night of Sept. 15. That could explain why witnesses may have described him. He has said he is willing to be investigated as part of the government's probe into the attacks.

The sketch, of a man with a full face and a mustache, was based on the testimony of witnesses. The suspect was reportedly around 28 years of age -- much younger than Bautista Ramírez -- and wearing black, the color of police uniforms in Michoacan.

You can judge for yourself on the similarity -- click here to see an image of Bautista Ramírez and a drawing of the suspect based on witness testimony.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Photo: Officials inspect Morelia's central plaza on Sept. 17, two days after two grenade explosions ripped through crowds of people celebrating Mexico's independence day. Credit: Deborah Bonello / Los Angeles Times