In a dramatic sequence across several cities, a 20-year veteran named Roger L.S.He carried out a violent assault and then orchestrated a prolonged, frightening kidnapping spree. The events began on a Saturday evening in Canovelles (Vallès Oriental) and culminated early the following Sunday near Murcia, spanning more than 600 kilometers and involving five separate hostages in three different vehicles. He was finally apprehended on Sunday at about 08:00. The emergency unfolded over roughly twelve hours, leaving witnesses and authorities to piece together a chaotic itinerary that included an elderly couple in the first car, a lone driver in the second, and two young women in the third car who endured a staggering eleven hours of captivity.
Evidence indicates that Roger fled on foot after firing five shots at his initial target, an act carried out from behind without any provocation. He also pointed a weapon at another associate during the incident near a shooting club in Granollers around 19:30 on Saturday. After evading capture briefly, he seized two pistols and ammunition from the scene and continued his escape, ultimately entering the first vehicle with the elderly couple he had already threatened. He then attempted to approach a second vehicle, while still at large.
From there, Roger moved toward Granollers, where he altered his course and abducted a second driver, a woman traveling alone, at a local gas station. The gun was used again to coerce her into the same vehicle and they proceeded toward Barcelona. In the Catalan capital, he exited the second vehicle and approached two young women in their twenties who were cleaning a car near a car wash adjacent to a major ring road. He coerced them into following his orders and returned to the car, beginning what is described as the most harrowing detention endured by the two victims.
Long detention
The two young women complied with Roger’s commands to ensure their safety as the situation escalated. The armaments involved included a 36‑round .38 caliber pistol and a 12‑round 9mm pistol seized from the club, along with a knife found on the suspect.
Guidance given by Roger directed the victims first toward Tarragona, then switch to Valencia, followed by Albacete, and finally Murcia. The victims reported that Roger pressed them to drive under his direction, obeying every instruction as if their lives depended on it, a reflection of the terror they endured during the hours in motion.
Failed robberies
Throughout the voyage, Roger attempted to rob a Lidl supermarket and a gas station. He ordered one of the women to exit the vehicle and accompany him into the shop, but the store was closed. The subsequent attempt at an additional gas station ended in a similar outcome—both targets were inaccessible, and the plan collapsed. The vehicle carrying the trio eventually reached the city of Murcia.
Once in Murcia, unfamiliar with the local streets, they entered a lane in the opposite direction to a major thoroughfare. A motorcycle patrol officer observed the unfolding events and halted his march, though the two young women managed to communicate with the officer discreetly, concealing their captivity. They later reported to the officer that Roger had threatened them but that the officer did not initially perceive the danger. The victims noted that Roger claimed they had saved his life by not trying to identify him, suggesting a volatile mindset amid the crisis.
Exhaustion and arrest
The captives described severe fatigue after hours of driving and sustained stress through the night. Roger indicated he might continue the journey by bus, offering a misleading sense of release. At around 08:00, he stopped the car at an intersection and released the two women, who sought help at a nearby Repsol gas station. National Police officers, identified as Jesus Sea and Hector Lopez, located him at a train station shortly after. He was found among other passengers at about 08:30 that morning, during a city procession that limited police actions. Officers intervened, disarming and restraining him after a tense confrontation. The officers restrained the suspect and took him into custody. Additional officers, including Lopez and Marin, reinforced the arrest and questioned him as to why he chose not to provoke a lethal response at that moment.
Roger will be brought before the Granollers court to face charges of murder and five counts of illegal detention, including the two elderly victims, the first driver who initially helped him reach Granollers, and the two young women who ultimately drove him to Murcia.