A man has been apprehended by the police on allegations of sexually assaulting a female British tourist and violently robbing an elderly British couple on the same day.
The individual reportedly used a martial arts technique known as a rear naked choke, also dubbed the “lion killer,” to subdue the woman in southern Tenerife, rendering her partially unconscious, as stated by a spokesperson from Spain’s National Police. After the woman lost her phone, the suspect offered assistance and then ambushed her unexpectedly in a remote location, the police representative stated.
On the same day of the alleged assault, believed to have occurred on March 23, the suspect purportedly assaulted an 89-year-old British man and his 79-year-old wife. Following a dispute where the woman tossed her husband’s watch into nearby foliage, prompting a physical altercation, both tourists were hospitalized due to the suspect’s use of physical force, the police spokesperson explained.
The suspect has also been connected to another incident on March 20, involving the violent snatching of a necklace from a Swedish tourist by grabbing her neck aggressively, the spokesperson added.
The Spanish National Police spokesperson announced the arrest on Tuesday morning, stating, “Officials have detained the suspected perpetrator of a sexual assault crime and two violent robberies committed in the southern part of Tenerife.”
The initial incident occurred towards the end of March in Las Veronicas within the Playa de las Américas region. The victim reported the incident to the police and provided photographs taken on the same night, featuring the suspect, which significantly aided the investigation progress, according to the police.
Separately, law enforcement officers were looking into two reports of aggressive thefts within the Arona municipality, one coinciding with the day of the alleged sexual assault and another occurring three days earlier.
The spokesperson elaborated, “The locations of the incidents, the suspect’s physical description, and the level of violence exhibited all aligned in both cases. In one of the robberies, the victims were an elderly couple.
“During an attempt to steal the man’s watch, a scuffle ensued, resulting in the watch being dropped. The man’s wife then threw it into a bush to prevent it from being taken.
“This action triggered a violent response from the attacker, who physically assaulted the victims and managed to snatch a bag containing their shopping items.”
A witness captured a photo of the suspect, which was handed over to police investigators.
Reports indicated that the suspect had been released on bail after appearing before a magistrate rather than being remanded in custody awaiting trial.
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