Anice Khalfouni, known to friends as Anis, was a 29-year-old who lived in Valencia’s La Plata neighborhood. He was found in a brain-dead state on a street in Valencia at dawn last July 28. For hours, no one came to help him, and subsequent examinations revealed a heart-level stab wound from a screwdriver. Four days later, doctors confirmed his death at La Fe de València Hospital, after the seriousness of his injuries prompted a transfer from the hospital center.
After nearly two weeks of investigation, the Homicide Squad of the Valencia National Police identified and arrested a 34-year-old inmate who was on leave at the time of the incident. He faces an initial charge of felony murder. If evidence suggests Anis could not defend himself, as the victim’s family believes and the available facts indicate, prosecutors could pursue an additional murder classification, given the absence of notable defensive injuries.
“They treacherously killed my son and left him on the street like a dog,” cried Sara, the murdered teen’s mother. She was in Algeria when a daughter called to warn that Anis had fallen into a coma after being stabbed. She described rushing to find a flight to Spain but finding no available seats; she then attempted to reach Valencia by plane and, when that failed, made a stopover in France before continuing to Valencia to arrive just before the doctors disconnected life support on August 2.
“Because he had a healthy body, he wanted to donate his organs to save other lives, but that was not possible because it is a case of murder requiring a full autopsy,” Anis’ mother explained. The family ultimately donated only the corneas of his eyes.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attack are ongoing. Sources familiar with the case indicate that the suspect may have been involved in a confrontation with Anis and four other people the day before, during which the victim put up a strong defense. “They couldn’t prevail against him; the final act was a treacherous stabbing with a screwdriver,” said relatives of the deceased.
Graffiti and flowers honor Anis’s memory in the neighborhood
Known to everyone in the area as the eldest of five siblings, Anis arrived in Spain with his family just a year before and quickly earned the affection and respect of those around him. In Plaza Doctor Torrens Park in Valencia, two pieces of graffiti memorialize him with phrases like “The Eternal Anis” and “The one who leaves does not die, only the one who forgets dies.” Flowers and candles were left for him at an improvised memorial, and friends and neighbors shared their memories of the young man. Ramón recalled his initial disbelief at the news, while Emilio described Anis as a “beautiful person with a life ahead of him.”
As a football goalkeeper, Anis played for Mislata until the age of 21. He later stopped to help in his father’s family business, which prepared fried chickens on Sueca Street. In recent times, he took on odd jobs, including painting and pruning palm trees, as his family noted. The community continues to remember him as someone who touched many lives, both on and off the field.