On Tuesday, February 21, an incident began when Pedro Gómez Rosa traveled to Artarfe in the Granada municipality. He attempted to kidnap Vanessa Romero Maracena, the councilor in a neighboring town. Reports indicate that Gómez Rosa’s girlfriend, Berta Linares, had limited contact with the mayor, aside from the fact that several months prior the mayor had been her employer and Romero Maracena’s boss.
The relationship between Berta Linares and Vanessa Romero was strained. The mayor had previously served as the right hand to former mayor Noel López, who left the post in 2022 to become Organizing Secretary of the Andalusian PSOE. López later stepped down to a minor councilor role in Maracena 2030. “They do not get along,” said the councilor’s husband, Luis Sánchez, as he spoke to reporters after an extraordinary plenary session held on Wednesday, March 1, to address suspicions about the alleged detention.
The socialist mayor of Maracena managed to escape from the trunk of his own car, which Gómez Rosa had used to trap him, and from the garage where the suspect kept him. Gómez Rosa reportedly bought a steak knife and duct tape at a local hardware store in Granada. The mayor then raised the alarm with the Civil Guard, who located the aggressor. Since February 24, a provisional arrest warrant with bail not set has been issued for Pedro Gómez Rosa. He has been described as someone who had been selling party balloons. He is currently in custody at the Albolote Prison Center in Granada.
Albolote Prison Center in Granada, a key location in the case, is cited in reports accompanying this article.
The newsroom learned that the mayor’s former partner had separated from her after the incident, a situation not included in the standard suicide prevention protocol, a deviation noted by sources close to the matter. Prison union sources described early weeks of confinement as a period when measures are heightened to ensure no inmate is left alone, especially during the first admission.
Gómez Rosa was expected to be accompanied by a trusted fellow inmate selected by central administration, yet shared the same cell due to high inmate numbers at Albolote prison. Local authorities confirmed there were no vacant cells available at the time. The suspect, listed as a businessman who previously sold party balloons, is being held in Module 7 under standard preventative conditions. His current lawyer reported ongoing contact and promised to respond when the judge calls for his testimony. The investigating judge of Granada’s Fifth Court heard the victim’s statement on Thursday, but details from the session have not been disclosed publicly.
Investigative reporters note the behavior of Gómez Rosa in prison as largely “normalized,” with limited discussion about recent developments, according to multiple sources. The defense has previously submitted medical documents from SaniSalud, a private practice in Málaga, seeking a forensic review of the suspect’s imputability. The case continues under the supervision of the Fifth Investigation Court of Granada, which remains responsible for guiding further proceedings. A request for alternative measures—such as house arrest or placement in a psychiatric facility—has been discussed by the detainee’s legal team with authorities.
As the case progresses, authorities emphasize the seriousness of the alleged crime, and the community awaits further disclosures from the judicial process. The reports reflect ongoing coordination among police, the court, and supporting institutions as new details emerge from investigations into the attempted kidnapping and the subsequent legal actions.
Note: This article presents information gathered from multiple sources within the region and is intended to provide a clear timeline of events as they unfolded. Citations are attributed to reporting partners and official statements as the case develops.