A quiet seaside neighbourhood in Elche was plunged into horror after two men were brutally killed in what investigators believe was a violent confrontation linked to an alleged squatting dispute.
The Civil Guard arrested two suspected killers on Tuesday following a tense 20-hour operation at a villa in the El Pinet residential area of La Marina. The crime took place at around 6pm on Monday, but the suspects allegedly remained barricaded inside the house until police finally moved in. A judge has ordered the investigation to be kept under strict secrecy.
Deadly confrontation
The victims were three German men — friends of the property’s German owner — who had reportedly gone to the house to check whether it was being illegally occupied. According to reports, they were met with extreme violence. Two of the men died, while the third was left seriously injured.
Investigators believe the suspects, two Polish nationals allegedly squatting in the property, reacted aggressively when asked to leave. Autopsies are pending, but police have ruled out the use of firearms or knives. The victims are believed to have died from multiple traumatic injuries caused by severe beatings.
Authorities have confirmed that neither the victims nor the suspects had known criminal records. Police have also ruled out a gang feud or organised crime, dismissing early speculation of a score-settling.
Chilling discovery
The alarm was raised after a call to emergency services reporting a violent fight following which, a local resident driving along Camí del Molar made a shocking discovery: a man attempting to load two bodies into the boot of a car. The Civil Guard was immediately deployed to the scene, which was traced back to a luxury villa often left empty for months at a time.
An elite Civil Guard unit surrounded the property overnight as tensions ran high, eventually bringing the standoff to an end.
Mayor explodes: “The system has failed”
The case sparked fury at City Hall after Elche mayor Pablo Ruz revealed that the suspects had been arrested three times since October — and released each time within hours.
“This is a scandal. It is immoral,” Ruz said, accusing Spain’s laws and courts of catastrophic failure. “These people were detained again and again, and the system let them walk free. This time, that failure cost two people their lives.”
The mayor visited the crime scene just hours after the arrests, describing the situation as “extremely serious” and pointing to deep flaws in the justice system.
Push for anti-squatting office
Ruz renewed calls for an anti-squatting office in Elche — a proposal backed by Vox — arguing it would help protect homeowners and guide victims of illegal occupation. “Private property is sacred,” he said, insisting current laws favour offenders over owners.
Praise for police, anger at government silence
While stressing full respect for the secrecy of the judicial investigation, the mayor praised the Local Police and the Civil Guard for their professionalism and constant presence since the night of the killings. “We have the best police force in Spain,” he declared.
However, Ruz also criticised the lack of contact from the Government Delegate in the Valencian Community, saying the city and its police feel “abandoned”. In contrast, he highlighted swift support from the regional government’s security chief.
As Elche reels from one of its most shocking crimes in recent years, questions are mounting — not just about what happened inside that villa, but about how it was allowed to happen at all.
