Malaga police surprise Mijas double murder suspect as he returns home from shopping

It was 1pm on Thursday when the suspect in the double murder in Mijas left his home in Malaga city's Teatinos district to go grocery shopping, his calm demeanour arousing no suspicion. The Guardia Civil, however, had been tracking him for 24 hours, ultimately arresting him upon his return from the shop.

The detainee was the partner of 61-year-old Mari, whose body emergency personnel discovered alongside her 31-year-old daughter Patricia's body after extinguishing the fire at their home. The two women had several stab wounds.

Residents of the Avenida de José Ribera in Malaga saw the suspect leaving late Tuesday afternoon. He appeared to be intoxicated, they said. He got into the car that he and Mari had recently bought. No one saw him return.

Everyone in the area where the suspect lives knew Mari or had at least seen her. The couple had been spending weekends together at his house for years.

According to the suspect's neighbours, the last time she was there was just a few days before her death. "She was a very good woman, very quiet," some of the neighbours commented, still "in shock" over what happened. "But how could he have done something like this?" they asked.

Following his arrest, the police searched the detainee's home and vehicle for hours, where they found a large knife. The forensic police are now investigating the knife at the Guardia Civil laboratory to determine if it is the murder weapon.

The suspect is currently in police custody awaiting arraignment before the appropriate judicial authority. Sources have stated that he is investigated for his alleged involvement in two murders and two robberies with violence, all within the context of gender-based violence.

Pending official confirmation, Mari would be the fourth victim of gender-based violence in the province of Malaga this year.

Just last week, a 35-year-old woman was found dead inside a well on a property in Rincón de la Victoria, which was ultimately confirmed as a femicide case. The victim's name was Cristina and she had been missing since the end of May, according to her family.

The body was found after the victim's partner confessed to the stabbing, after the police also arrested another man and a woman for their alleged involvement in covering up the crime.

The judge ordered the two men to be held in pretrial detention without bail, while the woman was released pending further investigation and subject to precautionary measures.

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