Police in Orihuela Costa made four arrests over the weekend in separate cases involving alleged gender violence, sexual assault, vehicle theft and an outstanding court warrant.
Orihuela Local Police have freed a woman who was allegedly being held against her will in a property in La Florida, Orihuela Costa, in what officers described as the most serious incident of a busy weekend of police action.
The woman raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon after managing to leave a home where, according to her statement to officers, she had been kept against her will since the end of April.
A patrol was called after the visibly distressed woman was found crying in the street. She told officers she had just escaped from the property where she had been living with a man who allegedly prevented her from leaving.
According to police, the woman said she had suffered days of threats and coercion. She claimed the man threatened to send intimate photos and videos of her to relatives and acquaintances if she tried to leave the home.
The victim reportedly told officers she was finally able to get out after contacting the detained man’s son, using the excuse that she needed to go shopping. Once she left the property, the man allegedly began circulating intimate images and videos among people close to her.
Several Orihuela Costa Local Police patrols went to the property in La Florida, where they located the alleged perpetrator. After speaking to both parties and carrying out checks, officers arrested the man on suspicion of unlawful detention, coercion, gender violence, sexual assault and disclosure of secrets.
The woman was later taken to file a formal complaint, while the arrested man was handed over to the Guardia Civil in Pilar de la Horadada together with the police report prepared by Orihuela Local Police.
In a separate incident on Sunday, officers arrested two people in Calle Colón, Orihuela Costa, over the alleged theft of a vehicle and possible document fraud.
Police spotted a Lexus whose occupants raised suspicion. After checking the vehicle and its paperwork, officers discovered that the car had been listed as stolen since 2018. They also detected signs that the chassis number may have been tampered with.
The vehicle was recovered, immobilised and taken into custody while investigations continue.
In another weekend arrest, Orihuela Local Police detained a man in Calle Traviata on Friday after discovering he was wanted by a court in Málaga.
The arrest took place during a joint static checkpoint in Orihuela Costa. Officers stopped a vehicle after its driver allegedly made an evasive manoeuvre when he saw the police presence. After identifying him and checking his details, officers confirmed that a search, arrest and court appearance warrant was in force, and he was immediately detained.
