A 20-year-old man was arrested on Friday afternoon after assaulting his girlfriend and engaging in a fight outside the Balcón del Mar hotel complex in Costa del Silencio in the south of Tenerife. The altercation, which occurred around 7:30pm, prompted multiple calls to the Emergency Services Coordination Centre (CECOES) asking for help.
Two patrol cars from the Local Police quickly arrived at the scene, where officers encountered a chaotic situation: the young man, reportedly from Santa Cruz, was found topless, agitated, and displaying a defiant attitude towards them.
His 22-year-old girlfriend, a resident of Costa del Silencio, exhibited visible signs of physical assault, including scratches, bruises, and symptoms of an anxiety attack.
Witnesses, including several passers-by, confirmed that the man had attacked his girlfriend. Two other individuals, a 66-year-old British man and a 37-year-old Cuban, also reported being assaulted by the suspect during the incident.
Video footage captured by bystanders played a crucial role in documenting the events. The videos clearly showed the suspect committing acts of gender-based violence and intentionally injuring others who attempted to intervene, as well as smashing the back window of a car in anger.
The young man was arrested on multiple charges, including:
- Gender-based violence.
- Intentional damage to people’s property.
- Actual bodily harm.
- Threatening behaviour.
During the arrest, the man continued to resist, attacking one of the officers and causing further disturbances. As a result, he was additionally charged with assaulting a police officer and making aggravated threats. He even managed to cause significant damage to the patrol vehicle transporting him, rendering it unusable.
Following his arrest, the suspect was transferred to the Guardia Civil’s Main Station in Playa de Las Americas, where he was held in police custody pending further judicial proceedings.
