The National Police have detained a 32-year-old man with a prior criminal record in connection with a violent robbery in Adeje, a resort town on the Canary Islands. The victim, an elderly woman, was dragged several hundred meters to the hood of a car driven by the suspect before the driver fled with the stolen belongings. The incident unfolded on Avenida de Bruselas in Costa Adeje, where a group of tourists witnessed the shocking moment when a person approached the woman and forcibly took her bag.
According to eyewitness accounts, the thief attempted to drive away with the victim’s property. The woman, not ready to give up her belongings, clung to the vehicle. The car lurched forward as she clung tightly, dragging behind it for several hundred meters until the driver managed to shake her off and escape. In the chaotic moment that followed, another motorist, a taxi driver, tried to intervene by blocking the thief’s path with his vehicle, but the suspect struck the taxi and fled the scene to avoid capture.
The assault left the elderly woman with serious injuries, necessitating compulsory admission to a health facility for treatment and observation. The National Police quickly opened an investigation, gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses to establish the sequence of events and identify the perpetrator behind the robbery carried out with violence or intimidation.
During the inquiry, authorities noted that the suspect claimed his own vehicle had been stolen — a detail he allegedly used to throw off law enforcement. The 32-year-old man, described as Hispanic in initial reporting, was eventually located by National Police officers in Arona several days after the incident. After providing his statements at police stations, he was presented before the competent judicial authorities for further proceedings.
The case underscores the authorities’ commitment to rapid response and thorough follow-up in street-level violence offenses. Police statements indicate that multiple lines of inquiry were pursued, including vehicle tracking, surveillance footage review, and interviews with bystanders, all aimed at establishing the full facts and ensuring accountability for the assault and theft. Marketed as an urgent public safety issue, the incident also prompted local authorities to reinforce patrols in tourist-heavy areas to deter similar crimes in the near term (citation: National Police briefing; local news coverage).