A parking receipt shows Maribel Vilaplana left at 19:48 on October 29, 2024, an hour after leaving El Ventorro restaurant with Carlos Mazón. This contradicts their previous statements about the time spent together during the afternoon of the disaster that killed 229 in Valencia. Sources suggest she may have driven him near the Palau de la Generalitat shortly before the mass alert at 20:11.
On October 29, 2024, during the cold drop that devastated Valencia and caused 229 deaths, Carlos Mazón, president of the Generalitat Valenciana, and journalist Maribel Vilaplana had a working lunch at El Ventorro restaurant. The bill, submitted to the Catarroja judge, shows two set menus for 165 euros, paid by the Partido Popular. The meeting extended in a 16-square-meter reserved room with windows, from which they left between 18:30 and 19:00, according to owner Alfredo Romero.
Vilaplana entered the Tetuán square parking at 14:38. After parting with Mazón at the parking entrance, she paid the ticket at 19:48 for 15.10 euros and exited at 19:51, implying they were together at least until around 19:30. This extends their alibi beyond initial statements: Vilaplana corrected in a letter and court that they left the restaurant at 18:45, adding 60 minutes to the lunch.
Mazón has denied that Vilaplana drove him to the Palau de la Generalitat around 20:00, as reported by Levante-EMV citing PP sources. He insists he walked from the parking door, an 800-meter route, and denies being unlocatable. "I deny again that I was in unknown whereabouts," he stated Wednesday upon arriving at the Palau.
During that time, Mazón did not answer calls from 18:57 to 19:34, including one from Emergencies chief Salomé Pradas at 19:10. He arrived at the Palau around 20:00 and at Cecopi at 20:28, after the alert sent at 20:11, when at least 156 people had already died. Vilaplana's ex, Xavier Carrau, shared a video of the Poyo ravine overflow at 19:07, to which she responded while with Mazón.
The judge requested photos of the reserved room and the bill due to contradictions in statements, where Vilaplana said she could not hear Mazón's calls because he stepped away.
