Lanzarote Murderer Gets 12 More Years for Tenerife Robbery

A man already serving 29 years for a 2015 murder in Lanzarote has received an additional 12-year sentence. This new sentence, handed down on Tuesday, is for a jewelry store robbery in Tacoronte, Tenerife. Of the 12 years, eight are for kidnapping the owner's daughter, three for the theft itself, and one for the injuries she sustained.

During the court hearing in Tenerife, the judge considered two main factors: the man's previous criminal record (an aggravating factor) and the fact that the stolen jewelry, worth 30,000 euros, had been returned (a mitigating factor).

The robbery happened in December 2021. The accused and four other unknown people used a car with fake license plates to avoid being identified. They parked it at a large supermarket. They waited there for the jewelry store owner's daughter, who also managed the business. She was about to get into her car after closing the store. Suddenly, two of the group grabbed her, forced her into their car, and punched her in the face.

Inside the car, they tied her hands and feet with plastic zip ties to stop her from moving, fighting back, or escaping. They also continued to assault her. They took the jewelry store keys from her purse and started asking her questions about the shop. They threatened to throw her out of the moving car if she didn't give them the information they wanted. They all demanded the alarm codes for the store, details about the safe's timer, and how to open it. They warned her that if she wanted to see her husband and son again, she had to give them the correct information. Fearing for her safety, she complied.

Next, they covered her eyes with duct tape so she couldn't identify them or the location where they stopped and left her. One person stayed to guard her while the others remained in the car. The others then went back to the jewelry store. They covered their faces with balaclavas, scarves, and wigs. Using the keys and codes she had given them, they got into the store and smashed display cases, padlocks, and trays. The damage to the store was estimated at 551 euros, and the stolen jewelry was valued at 129,000 euros. After taking the jewels, they left the scene.

Once they had what they wanted and confirmed the information she gave them was correct, they told the person guarding the woman to leave her. Her eyes were still covered and her hands tied. They told her, "someone will find you." She stayed like that for several minutes until she managed to free herself. As a result of the ordeal, she suffered multiple bruises, a head injury, neck pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her injuries took 114 days to heal, and during that time, she couldn't do her normal daily activities. The victim now suffers from a neurotic disorder and lasting physical scars.

The defendant was part of a criminal group known for extreme violence. Past reports described them drilling into victims' knees or giving them electric shocks in bathrooms. This violent method was also used when they held a businessman captive in southern Tenerife.

In the Lanzarote murder case, which involved extreme cruelty and kidnapping, it was proven that the group stopped the victim in his home garage, tied his hands and feet, and beat him severely all over his body. They then put him in the back seat of his own car and drove him to a prepared cave at the Montaña Mina landfill in Arrecife, where his body was later discovered. Following a jury trial at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Court, each gang member received a 29-year sentence, which the Supreme Court later upheld.