Murder suspect arrested in Tenerife after 9 years thanks to DNA breakthrough

A man has been arrested and sent to prison pending proceedings over the sexual assault and murder of a woman in Tenerife nine years ago.

The National Police announced the breakthrough yesterday, Wednesday, after investigators combined DNA evidence with genetic analysis and family-history research.

The woman was attacked in a communal garage in Añaza, Santa Cruz, during the early hours of 19th October 2017, as she prepared to drive to work in El Rosario.

Police say the suspect was 22 at the time. A lack of witnesses initially hampered efforts to identify the attacker.

A second attack provided a crucial clue

Six months later, another woman was attacked inside a building in neighbouring Santa María del Mar. She called for help, alerting neighbours and prompting the assailant to flee.

Investigators recovered a handkerchief left at the scene. DNA found on it matched evidence from the Añaza murder, linking the two attacks.

The match also supported investigators’ theory that the attacker could live near the two neighbourhoods.

Family records helped identify the suspect

Specialists worked with the University of Santiago de Compostela to analyse the biological samples for clues about the suspect’s ancestry and likely appearance.

Investigators also reconstructed a family tree, consulting historical archives and parish registers dating back to the early 19th century. The National Police’s specialist DNA laboratory assisted with the work.

After identifying and arresting the suspect, officers searched his home for further evidence.

He was brought before a judge, who ordered his imprisonment pending proceedings. The allegations have not yet been determined at trial.