Three Suspects Linked to Governor Park Bingo Killing in Tortosa; Multiple Arrests Across Spain and Belgium
Authorities from the National Police and Mossos d’Esquadra have detained three additional individuals connected to the case surrounding the killing of a bingo hall employee near the Governor Park in Tortosa. Two suspects were apprehended in Navarra, and the third in Catalonia. Although only three people are directly accused of the murder, investigators say the network around the crime appears to be broader, with more potential participants under scrutiny. One of the primary suspects fled to Belgium, was captured months later, and was placed in preventive prison after being extradited to Spain earlier this week.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight on September 19, when three hooded individuals entered the venue with the intent to rob. A lone customer inside offered resistance, and the assailants opened fire, fatally wounding the employee while the customer survived the attack. The robbers fled the scene with little loot.
According to authorities, the trio consisted of two young men and a woman of Moroccan nationality. They reportedly targeted several bingo halls, including ones in Navarra, before moving to Tortosa where they carried out the robbery and the fatal shooting. The group appeared to alter its course as police efforts intensified, suggesting a coordinated and mobile operation rather than isolated incidents.
Around 7 pm on September 19, a joint operation by Mossos d’Esquadra and the National Police led to the arrest of two hooded suspects in separate locations. A minor was found at a children’s centre and remained in that facility, while the woman was detained as a precautionary measure. At that point, one of the three alleged robbers was still at large, prompting a broader search by the joint investigative team.
To locate the missing suspect, Mossos and the National Police established a collaborative task force, with involvement from the Belgian Federal Police for the individual who had fled to Brussels. The suspect was arrested later and placed in preventive detention after being extradited to Spain, under the jurisdiction of the Investigation Court No. 2 in Tortosa, which leads the case.
In a subsequent development, late last week Mossos d’Esquadra reported the arrest of another man who appeared to be involved, if not directly, in the homicide. Simultaneously, the National Police arrested two more individuals in Navarra who are suspected of assisting the fugitive in reaching Belgium following the murder, underscoring the cross-border dimension of the operation and the ongoing coordination between regional and international law enforcement agencies.