Two Polish men, suspected squatters, have been arrested in Elche after beating to death two Germans who tried to evict them from a chalet. The perpetrators barricaded themselves in the house for over 19 hours before being detained by the Civil Guard. The local mayor denounces recidivism as a serious issue.
A double homicide has shaken the El Pinet urbanization in the Marina district of Elche, Alicante. On Monday afternoon, two Polish men, who were illegally occupying a chalet, fatally beat two Germans who attempted to evict them. The victims died from the beating, according to Civil Guard sources, with no evidence of gunshots or a gang-related settling of scores.
The suspects tried to hide the bodies, but a neighbor saw them from her car attempting to remove one from the house. The bodies were found in the street by Civil Guard officers and local police from Elche and Santa Pola. After the crime, the Poles barricaded themselves in the chalet without weapons or hostages. After more than 19 hours and a failed negotiation attempt, the Civil Guard deployed an operation with the Alicante Citizen Security Unit to force entry and arrest them without incident on Tuesday.
Both detainees have prior records and had been arrested up to three times by local police for squatting attempts, revealed Elche's mayor, Pablo Ruz (PP). "Recidivism is a very serious problem and, in the case of these individuals, it has taken the lives of two people," Ruz stated. He added that the incident is "very serious, big, and immoral" and called for the creation of an anti-squatting office in the city.
A third person remains hospitalized in very serious condition at an Elche hospital. The suspects will be placed at the disposal of the courts soon, and the main hypothesis points to a fight over the illegal occupation of the property.
