Elderly couple beaten in Bilbao after complaining about loud music

A repeat offender has been arrested in Bilbao for violently beating an elderly couple after they complained about his loud music.

The suspect, who has been charged with assault and robbery with violence, allegedly attacked the married couple after they asked him to lower the volume of a loudspeaker.

The woman, aged 74, suffered a fractured collarbone requiring surgery, while her husband, also in his 70s, was hospitalised. The arrested man has a history of various assaults; approximately a month ago, he reportedly struck a man after asking him for a cigarette.

This latest attack took place last Friday at around 3.50pm. The elderly couple had entered the public lift that ascends from Plaza de la Encarnación, in the Atxuri area, to the Santutxu district.

The young man boarded the lift with his music at maximum volume. When the woman voiced her disapproval, he reportedly snapped, "You are a woman and you cannot give me orders," according to witnesses. He then began insulting her. When her husband stepped in to defend her, the suspect attacked them both with extreme violence.

The assault began inside the lift but continued on the exit platform once it reached Zabalbide Street. He shoved the woman to the ground and placed the husband in a "sleeper hold," attempting to choke him by squeezing his neck with his arm while gouging at his eyes.

Witnesses also reported that the attacker bit the man's arm, causing a bleeding wound. During the struggle, the woman tried to call the emergency services, but the individual snatched her mobile phone and threw it into some brambles, where it could not be recovered.

When the first patrols from the Ertzaintza regional police and the Bilbao Municipal Police arrived, they found the victims lying on the ground. The husband was bleeding from his mouth, nose, and arm, while the wife was barely able to speak. Both were evacuated by ambulance to Basurto Hospital.

Medical assessments later confirmed the woman sustained a fractured collarbone, with possible damage to the shoulder blade. The husband underwent various tests to determine the extent of his injuries and to check for potential internal damage.

Meanwhile, officers located and arrested the alleged aggressor at the scene. He is an individual well-known to the police, having been detained numerous times in recent weeks. A Spanish national of Maghrebi origin, he had been involved in a similar incident in Bilbao just last Tuesday.

The detainee was taken to the police station and later brought before a judge. Following his statement, the judge ordered his provisional release with charges pending trial.

The couple intends to file a formal complaint as soon as they are discharged from the hospital and can provide the medical reports to be attached to the police proceedings.