In Elda, both the Local Police and the National Police Agency coordinated a rapid response after a man was detained yesterday afternoon. The suspect, a 45-year-old Spanish national, is alleged to have attacked a taxi driver and attempted to injure himself with a cutter before the driver managed to escape. The incident led to the detainment of the individual and triggered a swift police operation that concluded with the suspect being arrested on the scene. The city’s security forces indicated that the detainee had been living in Spain under a regularized stay, and the authorities are treating the case as an attempted robbery that escalated into violent action in a moment of crisis.
The taxi driver who became the central figure in this event sustained injuries to the neck and legs. After the assault, the injured driver was transported to Elda Hospital where medical teams began assessing the extent of the wounds. As of the latest updates, hospital officials have not released a formal statement detailing the severity of the injuries, but initial reports confirm the presence of cuts to the neck and injuries to the legs. The incident itself occurred in the late afternoon hours, with emergency dispatchers receiving a call about an assault on the taxi driver at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time.
Early investigations, conducted by agents from both the Local Police and the National Police, indicate that the arrangement began with the detainee requesting a ride from the taxi driver to a destination near Elda’s newer cemetery. Police detectives believe that the assailant intended to threaten the driver, and the chosen route may have been selected to exploit the distance from the city center as a tactical measure. The plan reportedly involved the attacker drawing a cutting tool during the journey, with the explicit aim of robbing the vehicle operator once they reached the intended location.
As the driver sought to put distance between himself and the assailant, he exited the taxi in an attempt to escape the danger. The suspect then seized the opportunity to reclaim the vehicle, maneuvering behind the wheel and driving the taxi forward in a quick, chaotic sequence that left the driver with injuries to the legs and other wounds. The attacker’s move to seize the vehicle was abrupt, and those moments were described by witnesses as tense and disorienting as the driver tried to find a safe exit from the vehicle. In the immediate aftermath, the captured suspect was restrained by police officers at the scene, with the arrest occurring with minimal delay and few details available about the precise circumstances of the handover to officers at the location.
Investigators emphasize that the incident unfolded in a public area and that witness accounts have been essential in reconstructing the sequence of events. The aggression, the attempted robbery, and the subsequent vehicle collision or collision-like moment were all captured in the initial statements provided by those nearby and by the responding officers who arrived within minutes of the emergency call. The police department confirmed that routine procedures were followed during the arrest, and the investigation is proceeding to determine whether there were any additional accomplices or related factors connected to the event. No further information about the suspect’s intent beyond the stated objective of robbery has been disclosed, and authorities are pursuing a full review of surveillance footage and bystander testimony to build a complete timeline of the afternoon’s events.
The community is urged to remain calm as officials continue to piece together the details of the case. Local authorities have pledged to release additional updates as the investigation advances and medical status becomes clearer. For now, the focus remains on ensuring the safety of residents, supporting the taxi driver’s recovery, and confirming the motives behind the attack. The Elda police leadership underscored their commitment to swift action and thorough investigative work to prevent similar incidents and to maintain the public’s trust in the regulatory framework that governs street transport safety.