A 40-year-old Spaniard who had been detained by National Police in Alicante has become the subject of a high-profile investigation after a sequence of violent thefts and vehicle hijackings that spanned multiple towns. Authorities say the man, already known to police, allegedly robbed a pizzeria in the city after stealing a car that carried a child waiting with her father, then escaped in the stolen vehicle. Earlier, the same suspect carried out a raid on a Gandía pharmacy and drove off in another car that was later found burned in Murcia. The string of incidents prompted a nationwide alert as investigators worked to connect the crimes and locate the individual responsible.
Following the Alicante arrest, the suspect was placed in custody as the investigation unfolded. The earliest known criminal activity appears to have occurred at least on July 20, when National Police officers in Gandía were alerted to a possible intrusion at a chalet after an alarm indicated a man was inside. When officers arrived, they found a man inside a parked vehicle who had forced entry by breaking a window to steal items from within. He was taken into custody on suspicion of theft with force. A judicial review led to his release, but the case did not end there. Soon after, Gandía’s Judicial Police linked the same individual to a separate vehicle theft, which had occurred while the owner briefly stepped away to have a coffee at a local bar, leaving the keys in reach. The thief took advantage of the moment, stole the vehicle, and disappeared. Later investigations indicated this was the same person who had previously been released following the interior theft in a vehicle.
Armed with a Knife
The investigation then revealed a disturbing pattern. After moving the stolen car to a Gandía pharmacy, the suspect concealed his features with a towel to avoid recognition. He was armed with a large knife and used the weapon to threaten the pharmacy staff, demanding cash from the register and fleeing with the loot. This robbery confirmed a direct link to the earlier offenses, and investigators immediately issued a wider alert to locate and detain the man as the alleged author of the string of crimes. The following day brought more evidence: the reported stolen vehicle had been recovered, but it had been found burned in Murcia, raising the stakes and intensifying the search.
The trail of incidents resurfaced on July 26 in Alicante, where police confirmed a new vehicle theft outside a pharmacy. The suspect matched the same distinctive description observed in Gandía, reinforcing the case against him. On this occasion, he approached a car with a minor present, forcing the child to exit the vehicle while the father stood nearby in the pharmacy. The theft of the car occurred with the child waiting for the parent, marking a brutal escalation in the risk to innocent bystanders.
Shortly afterward, the suspect appeared at a pizzeria in Alicante, where an employee was threatened with a sharp instrument in an attempt to steal the money from the cash register. The offender loaded the cash box into the just-stolen car and sped away. National Police units quickly responded, spotting the stolen vehicle and pursuing it. Realizing he was being pursued, the man attempted to flee, resulting in a crash with a fence. Police officers immediately apprehended him, ending the chase and placing him under arrest.
The detainee has a prior police record and faces a provisional prison order on multiple charges tied to violence and intimidation with weapons, as well as offenses related to theft of a vehicle and a burglary of the vehicle interior. The case continues to be processed by the relevant judicial authorities as investigators compile additional evidence from the series of crimes linked to the same suspect.