The Civil Guard is investigating the death of a 47-year-old man in Benejúzar (Alicante) following his arrest by two officers of the local police force. According to a complaint filed by the victim’s 17-year-old son, his father lost consciousness after one of the officers allegedly pressed her knee on his neck for several minutes during the detention.
The incident occurred in the early hours of July 13, when the man, Sergio Penalva, reportedly suffering an anxiety attack, went to the local police station seeking medical assistance. Accompanied by his son, he was denied help, with officers citing his history of drug use. Penalva, a truck driver originally from Crevillent, then attempted to walk to the Vega Baja Hospital, more than two kilometers away, while asking passing drivers for assistance. His son followed on foot, while a patrol car with the two officers trailed behind.
The complaint states that when the officers confronted him near a roundabout by the Rio Segura, an attempt was made to restrain him. During the struggle, one of the officers allegedly knelt on his neck for about five minutes, restricting his breathing. His son claims he shouted repeatedly that his father was no longer breathing. The officers reportedly attempted resuscitation briefly before placing Penalva in their vehicle. An ambulance arrived about 20 minutes later and transported him to hospital, where he died three days afterward.
Medical staff in the emergency and intensive care units identified suffocation and hypoxia as the cause of his coma. A forensic report following the autopsy described multiple injuries across his body and confirmed the presence of cocaine, amphetamines, and other drugs. The experts concluded that his death was the result of a violent process triggered by the struggle, severe agitation, and drug use.
The family maintains that Penalva, though a drug user, was in a vulnerable state and had sought help. They accuse the officers of failing to provide assistance and of causing his death through excessive force. They are calling for charges of negligent homicide and omission of the duty to assist.
So far, the Benejúzar Town Hall has not opened a disciplinary file against the officers involved, despite the forensic findings. The Civil Guard’s judicial police unit in Almoradí is leading the investigation.
One of the officers under investigation is a long-serving local police officer with a visible presence on social media as a fitness influencer. The second member of the patrol is a recent recruit.
