Rewrite of the Crime Case Narrative for Clarity and Authority

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On February 9, Angel Rodriguez da Costa, known as Lito, was placed in temporary custody after being accused of murdering his ex-wife Beatriz Lijó Gesteira in Baiona. The Vigo Court of Violence Against Women ordered that he not approach or contact his two children, who were seven and nine years old at the time. The crime itself had already been committed before the court set a minimum age for the children. While prosecutors and investigators pursued other measures during the investigation, those requests were denied. The judge appealed the decision, and the Pontevedra County Court upheld the appeal, citing the best interests of the minors as the reason. The measures included a precautionary suspension of custody during the investigation and until the case reached a final judgment, along with a prohibition on visits and communication with the children for the same period. Additionally, the order required the accused to continue paying child support, fixing the monthly amount at 200 euros for each child, and it imposed a preventive seizure of his bank accounts and any inherited assets that could be claimed in the future.

In a judgment issued by the Pontevedra Court on March 13, the company confirmed the decision. Two months after the ruling, the perpetrator, who reportedly confessed to the crime, had not yet paid any monthly allowance to the children, according to sources familiar with the case, as he had not accepted objections raised against him.

The precautionary measures proposed by the provincial organization were rejected by the trainer for reasons of official or procedural nature. Following the mother’s death and the indictment of the alleged father, the administration recognized the perpetrator, while the legal guardian of the minor, appointed by the Xunta de Galicia, did not appear at the February 9 proceedings. Since then, custody has been placed with the children’s uncles.

“Prissy”

The Fourth Division judges affirmed the court’s decision. The Violence Against Women judge, hearing the objection raised by the prosecutor and supported by the private prosecutor representing Beatriz Lijó’s relatives, found the trainer’s position too rigid in a process designed to safeguard the best interests of the two children, who were also victims and had to face the harsh reality of a traumatic event. The judges ruled that the aggressor should not influence subsequent judicial decisions.

In the initial decision the Vigo judge relied on arguments such as the Xunta assuming custody of the children and thus arguing that any measures tied to minors would be ineffective, at least temporarily. The Public Ministry disagreed with that reasoning, noting that it does not absolve the state from taking appropriate measures in the criminal proceedings.

Finally, the state court ordered a precautionary seizure of the accused person’s bank accounts and assets, including property that could be inherited, and even a vehicle owned by the accused. The aim was to protect the two underage children from any financial consequences tied to the crime, and to ensure that compensation, where applicable, could be addressed in the future.

Nine ax blows to the head and cuts to the face and other parts of the body

Evidence from the autopsy and forensic testing remains central to the case. The forensic analysis indicates that Beatriz Lijó suffered nine blows to the head delivered with a short, blunt object consistent with an axe. The injuries extended to the face and other parts of the body, including cuts from an unidentified weapon to the cervical area, chest, abdomen, and hands. The scene showed signs of physical struggle, and the victim appeared to be attempting to resist the attack or defend herself.

Initial autopsy results describe head injuries as sharp, cutting wounds that produced skull trauma and a fracture at the base of the skull. A forensic anthropological assessment, supported by the work of expert Fernando Serrulla, points to a small, medium-weight axe as the likely instrument responsible for the head injuries located on the left side and rear of the skull. Additional chemotoxicological, biological, and criminal analyses indicate that the other injuries, including knife wounds to the abdomen and face, and what may have been defensive injuries from the victim attempting to seize a weapon, fit a pattern typical of a violent confrontation. One of the knife injuries even pierced the liver.

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