Arrest Made in Nine-Year-Old Murder Case in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The National Police in Santa Cruz de Tenerife have arrested a suspect in connection with a murder that took place in Añaza, concluding an investigation that lasted nearly a decade.
The investigation began on 19 October 2017, when a woman was attacked while entering her car in a communal garage in Añaza, before heading to her job in El Rosario. The victim was sexually assaulted and killed, with the assailant, who was only 22 at the time, using significant violence.
Initial investigations faced challenges due to a lack of direct witnesses and a clear suspect profile, focusing instead on local men with previous sexual offences. The breakthrough came six months later when another woman was assaulted in a building in nearby Santa María del Mar. She managed to call for help, prompting the assailant to flee.
Police found a scarf left by the attacker, which was later analysed and matched DNA from the Añaza crime scene. This evidence helped link both incidents and suggested that the suspect lived close to both locations.
Identifying the suspect involved advanced biogeographic analysis techniques from the University of Santiago de Compostela, which provided a physical description. Genetic screening was also used to create a family tree that led to revealing the suspect’s identity, requiring extensive research using historical parish records.
Following the suspect’s arrest, police searched his home to gather further evidence, finally bringing closure to the investigation. The suspect has been remanded in custody by a judicial authority.
