Fugitive with over 150 prior arrests captured in Badajoz after escaping Tarragona prison
A fugitive who escaped from a Tarragona prison and had over 150 prior arrests was captured in Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz, after a joint operation by the National Police and Mossos d'Esquadra.
The arrest
A man who had escaped from the Mas d'Enric prison in Tarragona was arrested on 24 July 2026 in Villanueva de la Serena, a town in the province of Badajoz. The operation was carried out jointly by agents of the National Police and the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's police force. The fugitive was located hiding in a dwelling on a farm, protected by his immediate family. The actual detention took place at a petrol station near the farm, where he put up strong resistance.
The arrested man showed strong resistance, causing minor injuries to one of the officers.
The fugitive's record
The man was known to Catalan police authorities as a dangerous offender. He had been arrested on more than 150 occasions for serious crimes, including sexual assault, assaulting a law enforcement officer, robberies with violence, threats, and habitual domestic abuse. At the time of his capture, 12 judicial claims were active against him, covering offences such as sexual assault, robbery with force, robbery with violence, vehicle theft and unlawful use, reckless driving, threats, and gender violence.
The investigation
The investigation began when the National Police received a request for collaboration from the Mossos d'Esquadra to locate a man who had fled from the Mas d'Enric prison. In addition to the prison break, the subject had the 12 outstanding judicial claims. Through continuous information exchange between the two police forces, investigators suspected that the wanted man might have left Catalonia to take refuge in the province of Badajoz, where both his brother and his mother were believed to be living.
Family network
Early inquiries into his family circle confirmed that the brother and mother had moved to Villanueva de la Serena after purchasing a property there. Police surveillance established that the family nucleus and some friends of the fugitive travelled very frequently to a farm owned by the family. This pattern allowed officers to pinpoint the location where the man was hiding and to plan the arrest operation at the nearby petrol station.
## Aftermath
The fugitive now faces proceedings for the prison break and the 12 pending judicial claims. The minor injury sustained by the officer during the arrest was reported by the National Police in its press release. No further details about court appearances or additional charges have been released.
