A man was detained by national police in Madrid after an attempted drugging incident during a first date, reportedly using medication slipped into a woman’s drink without her noticing. A police spokesperson confirmed the arrest to a Madrid police headquarters press outlet.
The events unfolded on a recent Sunday around 6:30 p.m. in a bar at a well-known shopping center in the Canillas neighborhood of Madrid. A woman noticed something suspicious when she observed pills in her drink while her date briefly stepped away to use the restroom. A bystander alerted security personnel, who then contacted the 091 line. Officers arrived, but the couple had already left the scene. Security footage from the mall corroborated the witness’s account, prompting investigators to search for both the potential victim and the suspect. The search led to a second location within the same mall where the person was eventually located.
Investigators spoke with the woman who had consumed the drink. She is a 48-year-old Peruvian national who said she had met the man through a dating app and that this was her first in-person meeting with him.
The suspect, a 53-year-old Peruvian man with prior police history for offenses including mistreatment and theft, allegedly confessed to the action after being confronted. He was detained and later placed under judicial custody. He claimed his intent was simply to have a good time, according to authorities.
Although the victim insisted she was not seriously harmed, police requested an emergency medical transport to a hospital. She was taken to the Ramón y Cajal Hospital, where she ultimately fainted and briefly lost consciousness before recovering, as reported by media outlets citing hospital records. The incident has raised concern about safety on dates and the importance of staying vigilant in social settings.