This report concerns an incident in which a 30-year-old man is accused of illegally detaining his former employer in a Malaga town. According to authorities, the business owner was assaulted and transported against his will in his own car after the former employee claimed he had been dismissed from his job as a farm worker. The victim managed to escape during a refueling stop at the La Marina service area in La Vila Joiosa after the assailant paused to refuel and the victim realized a second key was in his glove compartment. He fled, driving to Benidorm and quickly contacting emergency services to report the events. National Police units were mobilized at the La Marina service area and eventually arrested the suspect. [citation]nn
The timeline places the events on February 9 in Canillas de Aceituno, Málaga, where the detainee had worked for the victim’s farming enterprise. The complainant states that at the end of the workday he informed his supervisor that he had been laid off and could not continue working. Although nothing immediate occurred, the fired worker later asked the former boss for a ride home, claiming he carried a firearm and heavy tools such as a chainsaw.nn
The business owner agreed to give the man a lift. Both proceeded in their private vehicles. During the trip, the former employee’s conduct became more aggressive, and he demanded that the car stop. The victim complied, and the assailant began striking the businessman repeatedly, forcing him from the driver’s seat and moving behind the wheel himself. The business owner remained in the passenger seat as the other man took control. The capture attempt ended with the attacker driving away, while the victim managed to escape.nn
The escape and pursuit unfold
n
The victim headed toward the highway into the province of Alicante, eventually reaching La Vila Joiosa after an initial failed attempt to exit the car. The former employee exited briefly at a gas station located at the AP-7 service area in La Marina, asking for money to refuel and to buy water. Using a spare car key, the victim seized the opportunity when the kidnapper briefly stopped; he fled and returned to the highway. He then exited at Benidorm and stopped at another gas station to report the incident to 112.nn
The National Police coordinated multiple units, including citizen security teams and an ambulance, to assist the victim, who was visibly injured and bleeding at the time of contact. The victim provided a detailed description of the perpetrator and his final location at the La Marina service area. Officers located a person matching the suspect’s appearance near the area. The assailant attempted to flee but was apprehended. The crimes being investigated include illegal detention, serious injury, and assault on an official. In the suspect’s backpack investigators found two sharp weapons, a hunting knife and a folding knife.nn n
n
n
n
n
The suspected kidnapper was referred to the prosecutor’s office in Benidorm, and investigators from the local Judicial Police brigade continued their inquiry to clarify the circumstances surrounding the violence against the business owner. The suspect was presented to the La Vila Joiosa district court for processing and further legal action.
n