A 49-year-old man was arrested in the Usera district after assaulting a woman, barricading himself in his flat, and throwing a hand grenade at the police. The device did not explode, preventing a tragedy.
The National Police arrested a 49-year-old Spanish man on Sunday morning, accused of assaulting a 40-year-old Dominican woman, barricading himself in his home, and throwing a hand grenade from a seventh floor at the officers trying to arrest him. The events occurred on Campotíjar street, number 21, in the Madrid district of Usera. According to police sources, the victim was not his partner. The detainee is accused of threats, illegal detention, public disorder, and attempted homicide.
Neighbourhood alarm and police deployment
At around 07:30, several neighbours from the block alerted the Cimac control room of 091 after hearing a loud argument and screams coming from the home, where a man was assaulting and threatening a 40-year-old Dominican woman. National Police officers from the district arrived at the scene and requested support from the Puma Group of the Police Intervention Unit (UIP) due to the extremely violent behaviour of the suspect, who had barricaded himself inside the property and continued to issue threats.
During the operation, the man even threw a real hand grenade from the window of the flat at the police officers positioned outside. The device, for reasons currently under investigation, did not explode, which prevented a tragedy. After the throw, several Tedax specialists took charge of the explosive to ensure the safety of the area and begin their analysis.
Rescue of the victim and arrest
Finally, the officers managed to access the flat where the events took place around 08:30 and subdued the suspect, who was arrested without any injuries reported among the police or the neighbours. The woman was rescued from inside the home and taken by Samur to the 12 de Octubre Hospital with several injuries and bruises. The investigation remains open to clarify the origin of the explosive and the circumstances under which the detainee had it in his possession.
Local residents, still in shock, told the officers that the detainee had only recently moved into the building and had not usually had problems with the community. The swift police intervention prevented the situation from escalating, although the incident has caused alarm among the residents of Campotíjar street, who fear that similar events may occur again. The police have increased their presence in the neighbourhood while the investigation is completed.
The detainee will be brought before a judge in the coming hours, and it is expected that the judge will order his provisional detention. The assaulted woman remains hospitalized, although her condition is not serious. The neighbours, for their part, have requested the Madrid City Council to impose stricter controls on the possession of weapons and explosives in private homes, a demand that has gained traction following this incident.
