22/07/2026 21:58 - Internacionales
The quiet residential area of Las Tablas, located in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district of Madrid, Spain, was the scene of a tragic event. Thanks to the rapid action of the Spanish National Police, the case has been solved, providing much-needed closure to the victim's family. Group V of the Homicide Squad reconstructed the events in less than 24 hours, closing a case that shocked the local community.
Facundo Rico, 37 years old, was an engineer specializing in renewable energy with dual citizenship (Argentine and Spanish). Living in Spain for over a decade, Facundo led a discreet life. According to neighbors who spoke to the newspaper El País, he traveled frequently for work, making him relatively unknown in the apartment complex where he rented his sixth-floor unit on Cirauqui Street. Before settling in Madrid, he lived in the Extremadura region. Sources highlighted that Facundo had no police record.
The tragic incident occurred on the morning of July 14, 2026. As detailed by the newspaper El Mundo, the attacker rang the doorbell. Since Facundo knew the man at the door, he opened it without suspecting the fatal outcome.
Upon entering, the attacker sprayed the victim's face with pepper spray to immobilize him and stabbed him multiple times (sources indicate between 13 and 14 wounds) with a kitchen knife approximately 20 centimeters long, striking the abdomen, back, and shoulder blade area. After the attack, the aggressor left the weapon next to the body and fled in a red vehicle, partially hiding his identity with a cap and sunglasses, as captured by security cameras.
Neighbors alerted emergency services after noticing a strong chemical smell coming from the apartment. Madrid Firefighters accessed the unit through a window and found the victim in the kitchen. Despite 45 minutes of resuscitation efforts by Samur-Protección Civil (Madrid's emergency medical service), they could not save his life.
The absence of forced entry and the fact that no valuables were missing led investigators to focus on Facundo's inner circle. The high concentration of pepper spray required the building to be ventilated before Scientific Police officers could begin their on-site inspection.
As the investigation progressed, Group V of the Homicide Squad identified the alleged perpetrator: a 65-year-old man identified by his initials A.J.. The main police hypothesis, supported by media outlets like ABC and TN, suggests the attacker was convinced Facundo was having a romantic relationship with his wife, a 50-year-old woman who had expressed her intention to separate. Both the attacker's wife and Facundo attended the same gym in the Las Tablas neighborhood, which reportedly triggered the man's obsession.
The following day, July 15, 2026, when police arrived at the suspect's home in the municipality of La Adrada (Ávila province) to arrest him, they discovered the man had taken his own life. According to police reconstruction, the attacker drove nearly 100 kilometers to La Adrada, spent several hours with his wife, and subsequently committed suicide by throwing himself off a cliff in an area known as Charca de la Hoya (or Charco de la Olla).
The suicide of the perpetrator allowed the National Police to exceptionally fast-track the case's closure, preventing the event from remaining a mystery and providing an immediate answer to the community and Facundo Rico's loved ones.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
