At about nine in the evening, a couple from Texas staying at the Acta Atrium in Barcelona’s Eixample district were trying to enjoy a night that would lead to a festival later. They were chatting with friends who were also at the same hotel when a piercing cry for help cut through the hotel lobby. A man shouted that he had been kidnapped and that he needed an ambulance. Genesis, who spoke Spanish, could not believe what she was hearing.
Moments after the initial screams, the sounds of doors slamming and hurried footsteps echoed from the apartment. The hotel reported the disturbance, and Mossos d’Esquadra quickly arrived, alerted by the hotel staff.
Four Mossos patrols, along with two local officers and two security personnel, headed to the scene. They found one of the alleged abductors armed and managed to subdue him. Soon after, the officers located the man who had been claimed kidnapped, bound and gagged in one of the rooms. Two other people were reported missing, possibly hiding in another room, and might still be inside the hotel, according to the authorities. Additional reinforcements and riot police arrived, including members of the Mobile Brigade (Brimo) to take control of the hotel. An extensive room-by-room search began, and officers ordered everyone to stay inside their rooms and preserve their footage for safety.
For Genesis and her husband, those orders felt overly restrictive. They were Americans who had traveled to Barcelona and believed the situation could turn dangerous, recalling recent violent incidents in their home country.
waiting for the police
“We were overwhelmed with panic,” Genesis recalled, speaking in a fractured voice as the ordeal unfolded. “Our friends suggested staying on WhatsApp so we could be alerted if the police came to our door to check on us,” he said shortly after the nightmare concluded.
Despite the fear, the couple found some relief in documenting the moment. They pulled out their cell phones and recorded the arrival of the officers. The footage circulated among the hotel guests and eventually reached EL PERIÓDICO, a newspaper affiliated with the same media group. In the confusion, officers warned guests to remain in their rooms, and one officer assessed the situation to determine whether the kidnapped person existed or if the incident involved a misunderstanding. A direct confrontation with Genesis and her husband was avoided as the team coordinated a controlled search.
When Mossos realized there was no kidnapper in the room, they confirmed Genesis and her husband as guests of the hotel. They were asked to identify themselves and stay aside while the room was thoroughly checked. After roughly an hour, they were given permission to leave their room.
open inquiry
Following the full hotel sweep, Mossos dispersed the operation and handed the case to a specialized team. The Security and Extortion Unit, within the Criminal Investigation Unit, would take over to determine why the alleged kidnapping occurred and what had happened to the two missing individuals elsewhere in the building.