Farmer slays woman, 2 kids outside Mexican church

Veracruz, Mexico - The director of Veracruz state police detectives says a farmer opened fire on a crowd as they were leaving a church in Mexico, killing a woman and two children and wounding another minor.

Remigio Ortiz Olivares says the apparently disturbed man fled the scene after firing his shotgun at the churchgoers in the town of Los Pozos in the Gulf Coast state.

Ortiz said Friday police arrested farmer Leonardo Bautista Rivera later the same day in his home. Ortiz said that police prevented some members of the town from lynching the alleged shooter, whose motive was not immediately clear.

Ortiz said Bautista allegedly killed a 49-year-old woman, an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy and wounded a 12-year-old girl after they'd attended a Good Friday sermon.