A case that initially could have been dismissed as a fatal street accident has been reclassified after a thorough investigation by Alicante’s Violent Crime Group, known as UDEV. The inquiry has established that a 63-year-old man died from head injuries sustained during a violent assault, and authorities identified a 16-year-old suspect who allegedly delivered the fatal blow with a punch that sent the victim crashing to the ground.
Last week, the National Police disclosed that charges have been filed against the minor at a Valencia youth center. He has been held since March 5 in connection with a separate violent robbery in Alicante, which occurred about two weeks after the homicide.
The motive for the confrontation remains unclear. The teenager, who has legal representation, denies involvement in the fatal assault, and investigators have not yet determined a clear reason behind the altercation.
Assault
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New details place the event on the night of February 22 in Alicante. The incident occurred as a fire was set by youths at a school near the site formerly known as Plaza de la División Azul; the square is now named María Yolanda Escrich Forniés. While firefighters, local police, and national police responded to the fire, a report came in at 21:10 about a man bleeding and unresponsive in Federico Mayo Street, a short distance away.
National Police officers from the Citizen Security Brigade and local officers found the man lying on the sidewalk, bleeding from the nose and with a wound to the back of the head. The initial medical response requested a SAMU unit due to the serious nature of the injuries.
The victim was transported to the General Hospital of Alicante, where surgeons operated on his head injuries. The violent crimes protocol was activated to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. The patient, a 63-year-old Spanish national, initially showed a brief improvement but died on March 15, nearly a month after the incident.
Early checks indicated that nothing was taken from the victim, prompting investigators to move quickly to collect statements from witnesses. A sister of the victim told Violent Crime personnel that he had spoken with someone near ten minutes earlier and described being in the area of the old Division Azul square, noting the presence of firefighters and police nearby.
Investigators spoke with those who had called 112 or provided testimony, and several witnesses described a group of youths arguing with a man, with one of them striking him. Another observer recalled a girl asking the aggressor, “What have you done? Why did you hit him?”, as documented in the inquiry.
Neighborhood Youths
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The group fled the scene, and despite limited information, officers initially focused on local teenagers. While some tried to derail the investigation and intimidate witnesses, UDEV officers identified a 16-year-old as the primary suspect. The team continued gathering evidence to secure an arrest, but the teenager was taken into custody in early March for involvement in a violent robbery in Alicante, along with other minors.
He was placed in a juvenile facility in Valencia province while the assault investigation continued until the man died on March 15. A week later, Alicante police formally informed him of homicide charges, and he is set to testify before the Alicante Prosecutor’s Office for Minors about the alleged acts.