José Luis Faro Fernandez was 44 when violence ended his life at a hostel in Mondariz, Pontevedra. He had moved there nearly twenty years earlier, making the town his home. The man accused of the crime, Miguel Ángel GM, was living in the same building as a temporary guest. Forensics would later determine that the fatal act involved a stabbing with a blade that the victim could not defend against. He was taken to a dreary semi-basement attached to the hostel, where his body lay undiscovered until the following night. The body was found on Friday night, January 22, 2021. The alleged killer was arrested the next day by the Civil Guard at a Vigo hotel, after having fled to that city. More than two years have passed since then, and the case is nearing a trial by popular jury in Pontevedra County Court. The prosecutor has filed a provisional indictment, charging the suspect with murder and proposing a prison term of 17 years, with consideration of extenuating circumstances or a mental anomaly.
Investigators and forensics point to a motive rooted in deteriorating neighborly relations. The Public Ministry notes that the two men had a history of discord, intensified by late-night music and the victim’s complaints about tobacco and noise. José Luis, a well-known figure in Mondariz who earned the nickname “O Cabra” for his distinctive greeting, lived for 17 years in a room in the hostel’s annex, adjacent to the restaurant where Miguel Ángel was also a guest. In the weeks leading up to the tragedy, they were among the few guests remaining at the resort.
According to the prosecutor’s office, days before the events, the victim confronted the owner about disturbances caused by the accused, who reportedly played music late at night and struck walls in frustration. The accused, upon learning of the complaint, allegedly confronted his roommate directly with a harsh message: You ruined me, I’ll pass you by the stone.
A knife in the bazaar
The crime unfolded between the afternoon of January 17, when José Luis was last seen alive, and the night of January 22, when his body was discovered. Days earlier, the accused bought a kitchen knife at a market in Ponteareas. Security footage from the market shows the weapon later identified by investigators as matching the injuries sustained by the victim. The murder scene was the victim’s room in the hostel, where he sustained multiple stab wounds. Given the nature of the assault, he was unable to escape or defend himself from his attacker, and was moved to the semi-basement where his body was eventually found.
The cause of death for the Mondariz resident was hypovolemic shock due to external and internal bleeding from multiple wounds caused by the knife. An autopsy estimated 80 to 90 injuries. Beyond the prison sentence, the prosecutor asks for a measure and a restitution order to prohibit contact with the victim’s relatives up to the second degree.
A handwritten letter to the court asking to be released: “I will not run”
Miguel Angel remains incarcerated since January 25, 2021. The defense requested conditional release from both the Ponteareas court handling the investigation and the Pontevedra County Court, where the appeal was sent, but the request was denied. A handwritten letter from the accused about his willingness to cooperate appeared in the discussions, with the Galician Foundation for Adult Custody advocating release on the grounds of financial inability to flee. Judges rejected the request, citing flight risk, lack of roots, and the seriousness of the facts, as well as the potential to destroy evidence.
One point in the prosecution’s indictment concerns the suspect’s diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic psychosis dating back to 2009. This history led to several psychiatric evaluations in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The defense argued that he lacked disease awareness and did not consistently follow prescribed treatment, which they said affected his ability to control impulses. The question remains whether these factors diminished voluntary capacity at the time of the crime, influencing the legal interpretation of the act.