Teenager arrested after threatening arcade staff with machete in Tenerife
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when two young men approached an arcade hall in the Ofra district of Santa Cruz, Tenerife. One of the suspects was wearing a black tracksuit with a hood and had his face covered, while the other was carrying a machete or a large bladed weapon. Employees inside the premises spotted the threat in time and immediately locked the doors, preventing the robbery from taking place.
Witnesses later reported seeing the suspects flee the area in a small white car. Minutes afterwards, a patrol from the Local Police detected a white Seat Ibiza rental car travelling at speed in the upper part of El Cardonal. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver accelerated and headed down towards the Carretera General del Rosario, continuing in the direction of Hospital La Candelaria.
As the pursuit intensified, additional police units were alerted and joined the operation. The car attempted to enter the TF-5 motorway towards Santa Cruz at the Las Moraditas de Taco roundabout, but the driver lost control and crashed into the roadside. Both occupants abandoned the car and ran, leaving behind personal items, including a mobile phone believed to belong to the driver.
An extensive search followed across the neighbourhoods of Las Moraditas de Taco and San Luis Gonzaga, with officers from the Local Police of Santa Cruz, the Local Police of La Laguna and the National Police taking part, alongside senior command staff. One suspect was eventually found and arrested after officers confirmed he matched the description provided by witnesses: a young, slim male dressed in a black hooded tracksuit.
A search of the rental vehicle uncovered several items commonly associated with violent or forced robberies, including a crowbar, a garden saw, gloves and a balaclava. The arrested suspect is an 18-year-old born in Tenerife who later admitted his involvement in the attempted robbery at the arcade.
The National Police have opened an investigation to identify the second suspect and to determine whether the pair are linked to other recent robberies in the Santa Cruz–La Laguna metropolitan area. Police are also examining possible connections to a violent robbery at a 24-hour shop near Parque La Granja last Friday, where a crowbar was reportedly used to threaten the sole employee on duty.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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