in the heart
During a fateful night in Zaragoza, the Moncasi neighborhood, known locally as El Rollo, endured a surge of violence that marked the area for years. The district, famed for its lively weekend scene and a cluster of venues, saw a troubling rise in crime, culminating in multiple violent deaths over a span of six years. One notorious incident earned the moniker Samurai, linked to a young man named Jose Millos who received a ten-year prison sentence in 1994 for a brutal act that stunned the city.
The tragedy unfolded on a December evening when Francisco Javier de la Rubia was killed. The setting was the busy junction near Los Gitanos Bridge, where San Juan de la Cruz and Juan Pablo Bonet streets converge. In a Fiat Tipo, Jose Millos crossed paths with Francisco Javier, who drove a Peugeot 205. A tense exchange began with words and gestures as both men confronted each other in their vehicles. Francisco Javier made the first move, stepping out to speak through his window after the confrontation intensified.
The conflict escalated beyond words when the pair encountered one another again on Moncasi street. The crowd gathered as insults flew back and forth. Millos reached beneath his seat and drew a 28-centimeter sword, a hidden weapon that his defense later claimed was a rare collectible. He exited the car and advanced toward the deceased, catching onlookers by surprise.
They were not alone. Accompanying Millos and Francisco Javier were their girlfriends and a handful of friends. One of the bystanders, a 16-year-old, stepped forward to intervene but was struck in the hip as Millos pressed his attack.
in the heart
The fight continued as Millos swung the sword, and he then delivered a fatal thrust to Francisco Javier’s chest. The victim clutched an anti-theft stick in one hand as he collapsed into a pool of blood. A nightclub doorman nearby acted quickly, guiding the wounded man into a Peugeot and rushing him toward the university hospital in Zaragoza. Police officers, including regional and national units, arrived at the scene soon after. Millos, calmly handing over the katana, admitted his role in the murder and did not resist arrest.
The death sent shockwaves through Zaragoza and especially through Moncasi, where neighbors demanded a stronger police presence and closer scrutiny of local venues. Francisco Javier’s ties to the community were strong; he worked as a waiter at Peña los Pinchos, a family business on Nuestra Señora del Agua street, and had joined a local boxing club. He had planned weekend fights associated with the family business and with the Pinchos football team, where he played in defense or midfield.
Millos offered his version to the magistrate. He claimed that he acted in self-defense after being attacked by several people and that his glasses were knocked off, leaving him with limited vision. He said he exited the vehicle to protect himself from those who attacked him and insisted that he did not intend to kill anyone.
The court later highlighted a separate claim from Millos that the sword had been a gift from an ex-wife and that his mother had urged him to discard it. He described the blade as a personal curiosity rather than a weapon, stating that he kept it in the car without anyone in his circle knowing of its existence. The weapon itself was a sturdy blade, roughly five centimeters wide and approaching thirty centimeters in length.
During the trial, Millos’s background was scrutinized. He held a Taekwondo brown belt at the time of the incident, and a trainer testified that such swords were not a standard part of the sport. The trainer described Millos as a quiet individual who avoided conflicts and suggested that glasses were not a typical obstacle in his practice of Taekwondo.
Four medical professionals and a psychologist attended the oral hearing. They observed no signs of mental illness in the defendant but noted signs of immaturity and difficulties in social interactions. Millos was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison, despite requests for a higher punishment and arguments for self-defense and temporary insanity. The judge emphasized that the use of a sword in the confrontation was disproportionate to the single slap the victim had given, and the act was viewed as a grave provocation that went beyond self-defense.
Millos’s statements during the proceedings indicated fear and a sense of persecution, claiming that he attacked instinctively when he perceived danger. The court did not accept the self-defense argument or the suggested extenuating circumstances and maintained the conviction. He remains a figure of controversy in the community, with debates about the events and their lasting impact on Moncasi and the wider city of Zaragoza.