In this case, a high-profile heist is unfolding. The decisive week starts with the questioning of the main suspects involved in the events. The individuals, who are being transferred from Croatia to Spain where they remain in custody, are expected to testify before Investigation Court No. 4 between Wednesday and Friday.
Judge Aida María de la Cruz de la Torre will decide, after hearing their statements, whether to grant or deny provisional detention. The judge will determine if this precautionary measure should be executed in Cáceres prison or elsewhere in Spain until the trial proceeds.
Currently, prosecutors have requested precautionary detention, but the crimes they will face and the length of any potential sentence remain to be determined. The case appears to implicate forged documents and other evidence that strongly suggests charges of robbery and coercion, at a minimum, with additional crimes being investigated.
The stolen articles are valuable on the market, with estimates reaching at least one and a half million euros. The precise classification of these items, and the corresponding penalties, is still being evaluated.
Regarding the accused, Constantin Gabriel Dumitru, 48, of Romanian origin with dual Dutch passports, and Priscila Lara Guevara, 28, of Mexican origin, are set to be extradited from Gruda in Croatia, where they were apprehended on 19 July while attempting to cross the Montenegrin border. They will travel by air and arrive in Madrid. Upon arrival, the National Police will announce their presence. A joint investigation involving Europol, Interpol, and Sirene helped locate them and traced their movements across Europe for several months.
The authorities noted that one of the defendants already has a prior record for similar robberies targeting high-value merchandise, though not at the Atrio level. The Atrio incident stands out as one of the city’s most notorious thefts due to its audacious execution and the distinctive loot, including a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem valued at 310,000 euros, a treasure especially prized by wine enthusiasts across Europe and a symbol highlighting Atrio as a major winery in the country.
As for the alleged female defendant, she has no prior criminal record comparable to her companion’s. She was once named Miss World of Ecatepec, Mexico, years ago. The events occurred last October, and the Civil Court of First Instance and Order No. 4 took charge of the case, issuing a search and arrest warrant for the defendants. After the arrest was announced, the Government Delegation and the General Directorate of Security provided more details, including surveillance footage showing a man entering a cellar and leaving with several backpacks believed to contain stolen bottles.
In detailing the sequence of events, authorities cited months of emerging information about the duo’s methods, such as the use of forged documents for bookings, temporary credit cards, and disguises. The prevailing theory has long been that the female suspect descended from the reception area at dawn, exploited the distraction of the man, used a stolen magnetic card to bypass alarms, and helped orchestrate the theft in a matter of minutes. The couple reportedly left the hotel early, and the owners later realized that around 45 bottles were missing.
Police briefings indicated the thiefs’ visits to the hotel likely occurred on at least three occasions, with the robbery planned months in advance. After the incident, Atrio’s owners received support from colleagues in the hospitality industry, and months later, another renowned chef, Dabiz Muñoz, reported that high-value bottles were stolen from his Madrid restaurant as well, though authorities emphasized that these incidents were not connected at the time.
And bottles?
With the suspects identified, one big question remains unresolved: where are the stolen bottles? A range of hypotheses has circulated, including a plan to sell the loot on the black market or to meet a pre-arranged buyer. Last week, the National Police re-engaged with the case, though the exact whereabouts of the bottles remain unknown.
The head of the Economic and Violent Crimes Unit noted that it is not yet possible to determine where the bottles are or whether they will be recovered, but the investigation will continue to pursue this angle. The possibility that the items were sold without traces remains under consideration, though authorities provided no further details.
Another scenario under discussion is that the bottles could be circulating in private markets rather than appearing openly. Experts contend these items are highly distinctive and selling them publicly would raise suspicion. The judge is set to question the two defendants this week to resolve remaining doubts about what some are calling the heist of the decade in Cáceres.