Madrid police arrest 85-year-old retired civil guard over fatal strangulation of ex-daughter-in-law
Officers responded Saturday morning to an apartment on Calle del Ferrocarril in the Arganzuela district after the suspect phoned his son to report that he had committed a serious act.
Domestic homicide at Calle del Ferrocarril
National Police officers in Madrid arrested an 85-year-old Spanish man on Saturday morning following the fatal strangulation of his 47-year-old former daughter-in-law. The incident occurred inside a residential flat at Calle del Ferrocarril, 30, located in the capital's Arganzuela district. Investigators established that the altercation took place shortly after 10:00 when the two occupants were alone in the property. The victim, a 47-year-old woman of Asian descent, was found dead inside one of the bedrooms with severe neck trauma. According to initial police findings, the suspect, a retired member of the Civil Guard, used a belt to strangle the victim during a violent argument inside the apartment.
Emergency response and resuscitation efforts
Emergency services received their initial alert regarding the suspected homicide at approximately 11:00 on Saturday morning. Patrol officers from the Madrid Municipal Police were the first law enforcement units to enter the building on Calle del Ferrocarril. Upon reaching the interior of the home, municipal officers found the 47-year-old woman lying unresponsive on the floor in full cardiorespiratory arrest. The officers immediately initiated basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers while awaiting specialized medical reinforcements. Healthcare personnel from the Summa 112 emergency medical service arrived shortly afterward and took over resuscitation efforts. Medical staff were unable to revive the victim and certified her death at the scene due to visible injuries consistent with mechanical asphyxiation.
- An 85-year-old former civil guard strangles his 47-year-old former daughter-in-law inside their shared flat on Calle del Ferrocarril.
- Emergency services receive an initial alert reporting a possible homicide at the residence.
- The 091 police dispatch room receives a call from the suspect's son stating his father confessed to a serious act.
- Municipal police and Summa 112 paramedics arrive at the flat, attempt resuscitation, and confirm the victim's death.
Telephone confession and living arrangement conflict
The police response began after the 85-year-old suspect placed a direct phone call to his son immediately following the fatal confrontation. At 11:10, the National Police coordination centre (CIMACC 091) received an emergency transmission from the son reporting the conversation. The caller informed dispatchers that his father had admitted to committing a serious act and remained inside the residence waiting for police officers to arrive. According to investigators from the National Police, the victim and the suspect shared the flat despite the end of the woman's relationship with the suspect's son. Preliminary inquiries by responding officers indicated that persistent conflict over the woman's residence in the flat, specifically the octogenarian's ongoing efforts to force her out of the home, led directly to the fatal altercation.
Forensic examination and criminal investigation
Officers from the Citizen Attention Group (GAC) of the National Police secured the scene and detained the 85-year-old suspect for his alleged involvement in the violent death. Specialists from the Violent Crime Group of the Provincial Scientific Police Brigade arrived at the Calle del Ferrocarril property to conduct an inspection and gather evidence. Forensic teams examined the room where the victim was located, while investigators noted the belt reported as the ligature instrument. The Grupo VI de Homicidios of the National Police assumed control of the investigation to clarify the preceding dispute and determine the exact circumstances of the incident, pending the results of an autopsy to establish the official cause of death.
