Four crimes solved
Between September 18 and September 25, a string of murders shook Catalonia, totaling seven cases in a single week. The regional police, Mossos d’Esquadra, managed to close four of these investigations, while three remained unresolved: the incidents in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat on Sunday the 18th, Tortosa on Monday the 19th in the early hours, and the La Mercè festival in Barcelona on Sunday the 25th.
The Mossos, who had also been involved in the violent robbery at a workers’ bingo hall in Tortosa, secured an arrest within hours thanks to information supplied by the National Police. The main suspect in that case has not been located; a brother of a detained minor remains unaccounted for and is suspected of crossing the border into France. With no capture, that crime stands unsolved.
The cases tied to L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and the La Mercè festival are more challenging. In L’Hospitalet, the assailant attempted to steal an electric scooter from the victim. The victim resisted, and the attacker stabbed her, causing fatal injuries to the heart. The absence of a prior relationship between the two complicated the inquiry, but officials have gathered testimonies and remain hopeful about a timely resolution. In the La Mercè case, investigators face a different set of hurdles, including the crowded context and limited initial clues.
The stabbing of a teenager, who died early at Plaza de España after leaving a concert on Avenida Maria Cristina, occurred amid a large crowd. The victim had a few wounds on the side, was transported to a nearby hospital, and died within minutes. Records indicate the moment the youth cried out for help, but concertgoers nearby reported no additional details. Security footage from the area is sparse, and there were no witnesses who could name a suspect. The victim’s phone was not available for forensic testimony, further hindering the investigation.
Without early descriptions of appearance or clothing, investigators were unable to pull through on surveillance leads. There are currently no strong threads to follow in the seven-crime week, and La Mercè’s case remains the farthest from a solution among the unsolved incidents.
Four crimes resolved
The four solved cases involve suspects arrested for acts committed in four different towns and neighborhoods: La Mina in Sant Adrià de Besòs (Barcelonès) on a Wednesday; a separate incident in another town on the same day; Campdevànol (Ripollès); and Empuriabrava (Alt Empordà) on Friday, September 23.
The first resolved case stemmed from an argument between two relatives on Rosalia de Castro street, triggered by a disputed illegal sublease involving parking spaces. The shooter, who resided in a protected block, fled after firing at his cousin. He eventually surrendered at a Mossos station two weeks later, once investigators fully identified him, and is now in custody.
The second resolved incident involved a caregiver case. An 85-year-old woman she tended was reported to have fallen seriously after a call to emergency services. Forensic assessment suggested the injuries could have been caused by a fall rather than intentional harm. The caregiver, arrested on charges of manslaughter, is now under temporary detention, with indications pointing toward possible homicide and financial crime against the victim.
A third case centers on a sexist crime in which a 21-year-old woman named Anna G. was sexually assaulted, tortured, and murdered by her partner, a man sixteen years older. The suspect remains in custody. Anna’s death marks the sixth femicide recorded in Catalonia in the current year, highlighting ongoing concerns about gender-based violence.
The fourth clarified case occurred in Empuriabrava, where a German national allegedly entered a home and killed the owner as the victim slept. The assailant fled with the homeowner’s trailer, but authorities later stopped the vehicle near Portbou after information from the victim’s spouse. The suspect is in precautionary custody alongside the other previously detained individuals and the two individuals suspected in the Tortosa attack.
These developments reflect a week of rapid activity for the Mossos d’Esquadra, with several cases progressing from initial reports to formal charges and custody. The authorities continue to pursue remaining leads in the ongoing investigations, relying on witness testimony, forensics, and cross-border cooperation to close the remaining cases. The public is advised to report any information that could aid the inquiries to the relevant police channels, with ongoing updates anticipated as the investigations advance. [Source: Mossos d’Esquadra, National Police updates, local precinct reports]