Four individuals who specialise in the theft of rear-view cameras from vehicles have been arrested for committing at least 45 burglaries in various regions of the city of Alicante.

The National Police was notified of an increase in reports of this type of incident, which prompted an investigation that culminated in the arrest of four individuals between the ages of 34 and 44.

The stolen cameras were distributed throughout Spain and also sent to Algeria and France, where demand is high due to the scarcity of these types of components.

Investigators discovered a consistent pattern in the reported incidents after analysing all the information they had received, which led them to suspect that the burglaries may have been committed by the same individual.

The primary components that were stolen were rearview parking cameras, which are “high-value and easily marketable components.” Their extraction is both discreet and rapid, making them a frequent target for specialised criminal groups.

Surveillance operations resulted in the apprehension of one of the perpetrators during the commission of one of the robberies in the initial instance. The group’s vehicle, which was utilised to transport the stolen products, was also confiscated.

The criminal group’s modus operandi was reconstructed by investigators during the second phase. The investigation revealed that they operated in a coordinated manner, with one member being responsible for monitoring the area, another for removing cameras from parked vehicles, and a third member waiting in the car with the engine running to aid in their escape.

“The detainees’ true objective was to exploit the brand logo, which was situated on the rear of the boot lid, where the parking assistance camera was located,” they clarify.

The investigators were able to locate the remaining three thieves and arrest them for theft and membership in a criminal organisation.

The detainees have been transferred to the Alicante investigating court subsequent to police investigations.

Yesterday afternoon, Friday April 11th, a fight near Alicante General Hospital resulted in the murder of a young North African man in his 20s and the injury of another with a knife. At the same time, an additional individual, a Spanish national, was admitted to the Emergency Department with injuries. The National Police are currently investigating whether the injury is associated with the assault, as is suspected.

The police are currently conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the assault, which transpired during a fight between multiple individuals. The police have purportedly apprehended one individual for his alleged involvement in the incident, a fact that has not been confirmed by police sources. Witnesses observed numerous individuals fleeing the scene in a vehicle.

The incident transpired in the Plaza de la Cruz Roja in Alicante shortly after six o’clock in the evening, adjacent to a children’s playground on Calle Pintor Baeza. In cases under investigation by the Violent Crime Group of the Alicante Provincial Judicial Police Brigade, a number of individuals who had planned to convene at the location clashed, resulting in two of them being injured with blades. A third individual sustained injuries, but they were not treated at the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.

The National Police have initiated emergency contacts from 112 and have promptly dispatched Citizen Security patrols to the location. The victims were en route to the General Hospital, where they were expected to receive assistance, when one of them collapsed while crossing Calle Pintor Baeza.

Medical personnel arrived at the scene and attempted to revive the victim, who was lying in the middle of the street. Nevertheless, they were unable to save his life. The judicial commission was informed, and Judicial Police and Forensic Police officers arrived at the scene.

Another young Arab man who sustained at least one stab wound has been admitted to A&E with non-life-threatening injuries.

The police are currently investigating whether another Spanish man, who was admitted to the emergency room with a jaw injury, is also implicated in the crime. The two incidents occurred almost simultaneously.

In addition to collecting witness information at Plaza Ajardinada where the incident took place, investigators from the Violent Crime Unit have also visited the Emergency Department to interview the two injured individuals and elucidate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The perpetrator threw a knife that may have been used in the stabbing in the park square. A boy, who was approximately 10 years old, took the knife and began to perform the “baile del serrucho”. The knife was collected by the authorities upon their arrival in order to analyse it and attempt to obtain the attacker’s DNA.

A man who was present in the vicinity said that, just prior these events, he observed over half a dozen individuals armed with sticks exiting a pub located near the Northern District Police Station. It has not been determined whether this incident is connected to the murder.

This violent death occurs just days after a gunshot in the Virgen del Remedio neighbourhood, during which individuals of Arab descent engaged in a confrontation and one was injured with a knife. In the same vein, a young Arab man was wounded in the back on Calle San Mateo by a fellow countryman who has not yet been apprehended the previous week.

A decision has been made by municipal technicians from the Elche City Council to evacuate two additional stairwells in Block 8 on Calle Palombar, which is located in the San Antón neighbourhood. The decision was reached after the building underwent inspections, which necessitated the relocation of 61 individuals from buildings 3 and 5 on Thursday, April 10th. A total of 36 residences, 18 in each building, were impacted by the evacuations on yesterday, Friday April 11th, which affected stairwells 1 and 7.

The occupants of both staircases have been notified by the social services department of Elche City Council that they will be relocated to a hotel within the municipality. The hotel will provide them with lodging and meals.

The technical report produced by the municipal architect and the technical architect indicates that “there is a danger to public safety and a threat of imminent collapse.” In light of this circumstance, officials recommend the immediate and urgent implementation of measures, including the shutdown of utilities, the evacuation of the apartments and premises in the block corresponding to stairwells 1, 3, 5, and 7, and the establishment of a security perimeter.

The technicians have also identified additional essential tasks that must be completed in the building, including the drilling of holes on the ground floor, the inspection of the sewage system, the repair of the main drainage system and the reinforcement of the load-bearing walls and pillars.

The city council has announced that these measures will be implemented “immediately” and “under the supervision of the competent technician.” They also emphasise that the results of the forthcoming evaluations may result in the implementation of new measures.

A resident of block 8 on Calle Palombar, in the San Antón neighbourhood of Elche, contacted the City Council at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9th, to report that one of the fractures in her home had expanded. Probably, the resident was unaware of the severity of the issue. The investigation uncovered additional cracks in the foundation of the building, necessitating the preventive evacuation of two blocks of the street, numbers 3 and 5, in the middle of the night. This action impacted 61 residents, including 17 minors.

Elche City Council technicians initiated a comprehensive analysis and inspection of up to 11 apartment complexes in the San Antón neighbourhood on Thursday morning, April 10th. In this manner, the council will be able to ascertain the precise condition of each of these structures.