This report details a series of jewel heists carried out by two young perpetrators in Vega Baja, Spain. A Civil Guard operation led to arrests of two individuals aged 27 and 24, who allegedly committed five robberies at gunpoint last summer. The suspects reportedly used a hammer and a pistol to intimidate victims, with loot totaling around 280,000 euros in jewelry and cash.
Two suspects were arrested, with one defended by the prosecutor’s office attorney Jose Soler Martin. The pair were brought before a court in Torrevieja, with precautionary custody ordered last month. One defendant faces charges for the robberies themselves, another for five jewelers’ assaults, and a third for involvement in a home break-in where a car used in the robberies was stolen.
The Torrevieja Forensic Police Team, handling the case, recovered several stolen items including jewelry, 1,650 euros, a car taken from a house used by one of the attackers, a simulated pistol, and an ax. The recovered items helped establish the attackers’ method of intimidation during robberies. Although the ax was found, victims in the Vega Baja robberies consistently described the use of a pistol and a hammer in the incidents.
Jewels seized by the Torrevieja Civil Guard are documented as part of the ongoing investigation. These recovered items were critical in linking the suspects to the string of offenses. (Citation: Torrevieja Civil Guard – official case summary.)
From statements by victims and local merchants, investigators learned that the suspects had scouted locations beforehand. They sometimes entered jewelry stores under the pretense of making a purchase, a ruse that allowed them to study security measures and the layout of each shop. The analysis aimed to understand how the stores could be better protected against future incidents. (Citation: Torrevieja Police Files – field notes.)
The first robbery occurred on July 20 at a jewelry workshop in Pilar de la Horadada. The two attackers rang the bell, gained entry, and used a gun and a hammer to intimidate the owner. They seized roughly 12,000 euros worth of jewelry before fleeing the scene. (Citation: Local police chronology – event record.)
On August 1 a new attack targeted a Torrevieja jewelry outlet. This time, only one assailant entered, carrying a pistol and a raffia bag to contain the loot. A customer was present as the owner emerged from the back room. The attacker ordered the proprietor to the ground and, when the owner hesitated, continued to threaten with the gun, compelling the owner to open the display cases. The theft totaled about six dozen pieces of jewelry valued at 56,000 euros. (Citation: Torrevieja security brief – incident log.)
Another incident followed on August 18 at a jewelry store in Horadada. The same robber returned, again armed with a short firearm to threaten the business owner and two children. Jewelry and money seized amounted to 6,250 euros. After the escape, the suspect was observed at the Civil Guard building, and investigators noted the thief had visited the shop again two days earlier, posing as a customer inquiring about gold chains. (Citation: Horadada shop surveillance report.)
On August 31 a violent robbery was reported at a Torrevieja jewelry store. The assailant secured the door with a raffia bag to prevent it from closing, then held two men at gunpoint before escaping with valuable jewels. The estimated loss ranged between 150,000 and 200,000 euros. During the escape, a bystander witnessed the suspect entering a car and attempted to intervene by blocking the road with debris. Although the vehicle fled, its license plate later surfaced as stolen from a home in Torrevieja at the end of July. (Citation: Torrevieja crime chronology – August records.)
The assault wave continued on September 9 at a Ciudad Quesada shopping center in Rojales, where two armed robbers grabbed about 6,000 euros in loot, including jewelry and cash, and used a raffia bag to keep the door from closing during the attack. (Citation: Ciudad Quesada security bulletin.)
Three days after that incident, authorities tracked down the principal suspects. One man was arrested at a residence in Rojales where he occasionally slept, while another suspect resided in Torrevieja. A second person connected to the case was arrested by the Civil Guards on September 20, marking another breakthrough in the investigation. (Citation: Civil Guard arrest log – September actions.)