Malaga bids farewell to Nacho, killed after gang members mistook him for hitman

His passing at the age of 20 has come far too soon. It is "unfair", his loved ones said, still unable to come to terms with the loss. "He wouldn't hurt a fly," they stated.

Disbelief, sadness and helplessness overwhelm them, but they decided to speak out so that everyone remembers who their friend was: "Noble, cheerful and hard-working. A gem, who didn't deserve this end."

The indescribable upheaval of his violent death shook Nacho's community last Friday. From the moment they were told he had been shot in a square in his neighbourhood, in broad daylight, until they learnt that three individuals linked to organised crime had mistaken him for an enemy.

"Right from the start, we knew it must have been a mistake. He's never had any trouble with anyone. He would never have done that," one of his friends told SUR.

Those who knew Nacho said he was "friends with whole of Malaga", as he had a natural gift. Some of these friendships he forged during his teenage years, when he lived in Ciudad Jardín, thanks to a shared interest: a passion for motorbikes and mechanics.

The young man grew up in the Alegría de la Huerta area, before moving with his mother to the La Victoria neighbourhood, near Plaza de la Iglesia. An only child, he was always known for his calm, sociable nature and for "staying out of trouble" wherever he went.

His loved ones told SUR that he was a "hard-working" young man. He worked as an electrician, a carpenter and on roadworks near La Rosaleda and the Puente de la Palma, although his real dream was to become a train mechanic at Renfe.

Knowing him, his friends are particularly outraged by the initial speculation linking him to criminal circles. "The last thing he'd ever do is get involved in that sort of world," they stated.

They shared in their grief on Monday afternoon at the cemetery in Malaga (Parcemasa), where they gathered to pay their respects.

Since Friday, dozens of his friends have been sharing photos and videos of Nacho to keep his memory alive.

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