Elche Police Station reported eight arrests on Friday in the Los Palmerales neighborhood. Two individuals were detained for possessing firearms, while the other six were taken into custody for assaulting law enforcement officers. Authorities said two firearms were recovered, both loaded and ready to fire during separate incidents.
The National Police Service described the arrests as the outcome of two coordinated operations. One weapon was seized after a sudden maneuver by the suspects in a vehicle traversing a well-known area, drawing the attention of agents from the Elche Judicial Police Brigade who were conducting ongoing inquiries in the vicinity.
Persecution
Following a brief chase, the vehicle driver was apprehended a short distance away, but the co-pilot fled the scene after exiting the car. When asked to identify themselves, several bystanders surrounded the officers and resisted attempts to identify the suspects. The agents were eventually attacked by those present. During the struggle, one officer observed a person removing a gun from a shoulder bag and immediately discharged it, causing it to fall to the ground.
Those present attempted to kick the firearm away from the ground to prevent it from being recovered, yet one officer ultimately secured the weapon.
Attempt
When reinforcements arrived, the assailants fled the scene. Although the driver was detained, authorities allege he committed both assaulting a law enforcement officer and illegal possession of weapons. Two women involved in the attack were also charged with assaulting officers.
Inspecting the 7.65-millimeter semi-automatic handgun revealed it was loaded and unsafe. Additional ammunition was recovered along with the gun, totaling 14 cartridges of the same caliber.
Police Complaint
After confirming the detainee’s identity at the police station, authorities noted a prior complaint filed by the Molina de Segura Police Station in Murcia, alleging a road safety offense and issues related to the vehicle he was driving, including lack of compulsory insurance.
In a rapid, follow-up operation, investigators identified three men and two women among the attackers, aged 32 and 38, with one individual’s location not immediately determined. The group faced charges related to assaulting law enforcement officers and related offenses.
Second Gun Seized
Minutes after the initial intervention, a separate team from the Citizen Security Brigade of the Elche National Police observed a cautious man in the same area. He attempted to conceal an object by wrapping it in a shirt. When approached, the suspect fled on foot, then crouched between vehicles and manipulated the object in his hand. Officers tackled him and seized a concealed .38-caliber handgun with an erased serial number, loaded with five rounds. Wrapped with the shirt was an additional stash of 26 cartridges of the same caliber.
A 45-year-old Spanish national was arrested for illegal possession of weapons and remanded to the Elche Court of Investigation.
Officials note that firearms activity in the neighborhood has, sadly, occurred before; less than two years ago a young woman was shot and killed there.