In this case, Mossos d’Esquadra officers arrested a Dominican national, Jose Abel Paulino Rodriguez, on a cross-border crime trail that began last year. He had been wanted since August for the murder of his romantic partner, Dary Luzat Sabadell, and was detected using a fake identity while moving through Catalonia.
The arrest in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat came after investigators from the local homicide and violent-crimes unit connected Paulino to the disappearance and the fatal stabbing incident, which initially appeared to involve a confrontation with a client during a purported cocaine purchase. The officers clarified that the ongoing investigation noted a previous attempt on two customers during the early hours of the previous Christmas, though the immediate aim of the unit was to solve the attempted stabbings rather than treat it as a femicide case at that stage.
The confrontation over a cocaine deal ended with Paulino drawing a knife. The seller withdrew from the exchange, and the disagreement escalated. A nearby friend intervened to help the injured party, but Paulino allegedly attempted to stab him as well. The victim required surgical intervention that same night to survive.
On Wednesday, Baix Llobregat police spotted Paulino on a street, with cocaine in his possession and documents that clearly identified him. Officers confirmed his fingerprints and linked him to the December 31, 2022 murder-plot events, establishing his true identity as Jose Abel Paulino, the suspected dominican suspect. The case had targeted him as the person behind the violent crimes that began with the fatal stabbing of Dary Luz on August 3, 2021.
woman’s murder
A European arrest warrant has been issued for the Colombian national believed to be involved in the homicide investigation. She had traveled to Spain in the days before the murder to join Paulino, and the couple reportedly moved into a Sabadell slum. After only a week living together, authorities say Paulino allegedly attacked Dary Luz in a public street, forced her to a nearby residence in the Campoamor neighborhood, restrained her, and stabbed her. The Mossos d’Esquadra later found Dary Luz deceased, with the weapon nearby and the scene consistent with a crime scene in which the partnership between the victim and her partner was a key factor.
Investigators noted that Dary Luz’s family in Colombia had been following developments closely as the case unfolded. The police assessment pointed to a violent act connected to a domestic dispute rather than a random attack, and the investigation continued to gather evidence to confirm the sequence of events and Paulino’s role.
As the inquiry progressed, homicide investigators linked Paulino to the murder through a pattern of aliases and misrepresentation, including a separate identity he used while living with Dary Luz. The Sabadell domestic violence court issued a European arrest warrant to facilitate his extradition, and the Moorish-Mossos database records were used to corroborate his presence and movements prior to his eventual capture.
Prior to fleeing, Paulino had resided in Sabadell under an assumed name, evading authorities because of prior disputes arising in the Dominican Republic. His decision to stay in Spain after the crimes added another layer to the investigation, ultimately allowing authorities to connect the dots and apprehend him after fingerprint comparisons confirmed his identity.