Juan Carlos Martínez García, 58 years old and a resident of Benimàmet, died on Sunday after being stabbed and beaten with a baseball bat at number 14 Gavarda street, in València. The attack occurred on the landing of the building, shortly after 1530 hours, after an argument related to the noise and behavior of the alleged aggressors, who resided in the same building.
Detention of the three suspects after the crime
The National Police has arrested a man and his parents, neighbors of the victim, as alleged perpetrators of the homicide. The main suspect, the son, was arrested a few minutes after the aggression by the first patrol that arrived at the building. The parents were arrested approximately two hours later, after the inspection of the scene by the head of the Homicide group.
The agonizing body of Juan Carlos was dragged into the aggressors' home. The corpse was found on the kitchen floor of door 8, with evident signs of dragging from the landing. The Scientific Police collected several knives and a bloody bat for analysis, with the aim of identifying fingerprints and DNA remains.
Police investigation and history of neighborhood conflict
The head of Homicide ordered the arrest of the parents after examining the number of weapons used and the crime scene. The victim's body showed numerous stab wounds to the chest and face, in addition to defensive wounds. The body was transferred shortly before 1900 hours to the Institute of Legal Medicine of València, where the autopsy will be performed on Monday.
The three detainees are accused of a crime of homicide or murder, awaiting the decision of Investigating Court number 19 of València. The emergency phone 112 received several calls from neighbors alerting of the aggression and the abundant blood loss of the victim. The medical team dispatched to the scene could do nothing to save the life of Juan Carlos, who died from hypovolemic shock after the rupture of main blood vessels.
Previous conflicts and atmosphere in the building
The atmosphere in the building was already tense for months. Juan Carlos had reported the mother of the main suspect for an assault on his own mother, a complaint that ended in conviction. Several residents have confirmed the existence of coexistence problems and episodes of nocturnal scandals.
"He would arrive drunk in the early morning and, if he didn't have keys, he would kick down the door. The situation was unbearable" - Resident, building on Gavarda street
The investigation remains open and those arrested remain at the disposal of the court. The neighborhood remains shocked after the incident, which has highlighted the seriousness of neighborhood conflicts in the area.