Moments before the court that would later convict them, a violent assault unfolded. In January 2020, four hooded men entered a penthouse on Antonio Sacramento Street in Valencia, targeting a mother and her daughter. Both women received two-year sentences after they were gagged and threatened with death to lure the safe’s contents. Those found guilty faced no immediate prison time; their sentences were suspended as they accepted the facts and reached an eligibility agreement in a hearing at Valencia Criminal Court No. Four. The execution of the prison terms was contingent on them not committing another crime within three years and remaining engaged in drug treatment.
Neither defendant was a citizen of another country; both held Spanish nationality and were estimated to be between 35 and 45 years old. The criminals seized more than 55,000 euros in cash and assorted jewelry that the victims had stashed in a vault. Legally, they are required to reimburse the stolen money and the value of the jewelry, with liability shared jointly and severally.
The attack occurred at 09:35 on the morning of 14 January 2020. Taking advantage of the moment when a resident of Chinese origin opened the door to exit, the two confirmed assailants, along with two unknown accomplices, burst in wearing their faces covered.
Armed with at least one knife, the intruders muffled their captives to prevent screams and help requests, leading them to a chair in the room. Hands and feet were tied with black cable ties, and the women were gagged. The intruders then confiscated 700 euros found in the mother’s bag, along with her residence card and house keys.
The daughter, who had become aware of the commotion from upstairs, came downstairs and confronted the four hooded men. In the same manner used on her mother, she was tied and threatened with a knife until she opened the safe.
When the young woman refused to cooperate, the attackers threatened to kill her mother. They eventually opened the safe and took 50,000 euros in cash and jewelry, plus 5,500 euros found in the daughter’s purse. After securing the loot, the four assailants fled, leaving the women bound and gagged.
Suspension of prison sentences under conditions
The Ministry of Finance initially sought prison terms of five years for each defendant. Following the agreement reached by their lawyers, Francisco Aparicio and Juan Antonio Rodriguez de Dios were ultimately sentenced to two years in prison for aggravated offenses involving abuse of authority, disguising their identities, and violent robbery inside a residence.
Valencia Criminal Court No. Four also recognized two mitigating circumstances. On one side, both defendants were found to be struggling with drug addiction, a factor that affected their volitional capacity during the crime. They are currently undergoing detoxification therapy. On the other side, the court noted that the case suffered extraordinary procedural delays that were not attributable to the defendants and were disproportionate to the case’s complexity.
The defendants’ legal team requested a halt to the execution of the prison sentences, a request that the prosecutor did not oppose. In a related development within the same case, the court determined that the sentence exceeded two years—specifically two years, one month, and 16 days—warranting extraordinary suspension, while both individuals carried prior criminal records. Jesús MD had previously received a three-and-a-half-year sentence in 2010 for another robbery with violence and intimidation in Zaragoza. Francisco OG also had an 18-month sentence for a forced robbery in Teruel.