Antonio David Barroso, a fifteen-year-old with disabilities, disappeared on September 12, 2021. His mother, Macarena Díaz, asserts that her son died at their Morón de la Frontera home in Seville and that his body was later placed near a Madrid neighborhood’s garbage container. Despite the police search, the boy’s body has not been located, and the mother remains free. A review of case documents shows investigators noting a pattern of absence of sadness or regret in her behavior, which stands out amid the events.
Macarena, who has bipolar disorder, was admitted to a psychiatric facility after arriving alone on September 12, 2021. A gas station in Segovia became a point of reference in her account, as she helped reconstruct the car journey across Spain with her son and even indicated specific containers south of Madrid as potential places where the body might be, though she later claimed it was a mistake.
“I’m out of money”
Following a formal statement, she was released while the disappearance investigation continued. Authorities began to suspect manipulation of the inquiry and noted that she appeared to live her life as if nothing significant had happened.
On October 11, she told two agents, “now I’m out of money” after ceasing to receive assistance for her son. She claimed to have left the town with her son in the car and to have known that the officers would discover the truth behind the alleged dead body.
Shortly after leaving the hospital, she made another notable move: she indicated there was additional information suggesting she intended to move on with her life and had confronted possible regret regarding the events. On November 21, 2021, it was decided to halt the tax deduction for a disabled child that had been claimed in her income tax return.
In the same document, the mother asserts, “I am the mother of the missing disabled child; the child died on September 10, 2021, but I do not have the death certificate yet. I request unemployment benefits.”
The document Macarena submitted to claim unemployment after her son’s disappearance is shown in the accompanying state records.
September 12 marks two years since Antonio David Barroso vanished. Police are evaluating whether the mother might have taken her son from home alive, begun a road journey, and that the child died along the way. Surveillance footage from a Miajadas gas station in Cáceres shows the mother entering and leaving the car with a somber demeanor, and later, in Talavera de la Reina, the child is seen in a wheelchair. Investigators note the purchase of a blanket in Talavera despite temperatures around 35 degrees, suggesting a plan to conceal the body and avoid hotel staff noticing the death.
“Throw into the Tagus River”
Investigators have concluded that Macarena may have disposed of her son’s body and wheelchair in the Tagus River. They find it striking that she recalls precise details about Talavera, a place she had not visited often, raising questions about whether she considered a simple, practical solution with less risk of discovery. The theory contends that placing the body in a major river could make the evidence harder to find.
Investigators consider the possibility that the act was influenced by real or fictional crimes, noting that the behavior of abandoning a family member in water is sometimes seen in media or true incidents, which may guide imitation patterns.
Police emphasize that the recall of Talavera’s specifics is remarkable and could indicate a premeditated plan. They suggest that relocating the body to the Tagus could be viewed as less aggressive than disposal in a dumpster, and point out that the family had never supported such an act. The summary includes contextual images of the Tagus River site and the wheelchair associated with Antonio David.
“Stopped the medication”
Macarena, who has bipolar disorder, admitted stopping essential medications. She has faced two psychotic episodes in the past and acknowledged that ceasing lithium carried risks. The child required multiple daily medications to prevent seizures and other complications associated with his illness. Police records indicate that Macarena stopped giving him two of these medications about 13 to 15 days before the disappearance. Witnesses, including a priest and a supermarket worker, observed the boy experiencing severe contractions in the days prior to the event.