LA RIOJA – On Thursday around 11 pm, a 9-year-old boy was found in critical condition in Lardero (La Rioja). The boy had been lured from the playground that afternoon. However, help came too late, and the boy succumbed to his injuries. The suspect was previously incarcerated for murder.
The 9-year-old boy was playing with friends in the playground that afternoon. Several witnesses told police that the boy was lured from the playground by a middle-aged man.
Emergency call due to the disappearance of a minor boy in La Rioja
At 8.25 pm, SOS Rioja 112 received an emergency call reporting the disappearance of a minor boy. Shortly after the call, the Guardia Civil was deployed and asked local residents for witness statements. Around 11 pm, the boy was found in critical condition on the porch of the suspect’s home.
Shortly after the boy was found, the ambulance arrived. The child was immediately resuscitated. However, the assistance was of no avail and the boy died on the spot from his injuries.
Angry mob wants to ‘lynch’ perpetrator during arrest
Shortly afterward, the police prepared to arrest the man. However, it was complicated as around 200 furious local residents were attempting to get to the man. Police officers tried to keep people at a distance, but they were determined to “lynch” the perpetrator, several Spanish media reported.
Local residents were also angry with the police because they had previously called the police to report a man who was trying to lure children. “The death of a child is apparently necessary to protect the killer now,” said one of the neighbours.
Suspect previously served prison time for murder
Although it was made more difficult by the angry mob, the police managed to arrest the suspect. While the man was driven away, the police car was attacked by some of those present. The suspect was transferred to the Guardia Civil building in Logroño.
Preliminary investigations show the man was released from prison in 2020 for the 1998 murder of a real estate agent in Logroño, the Spanish agency Efe wrote.
