Abroad
2 arrested in Spain murder case after man seen on Google Maps putting bundle in car trunk
Caught on camera.
December 23, 2024, 02:12 PM
Two suspects have been arrested for their involvement in a murder case in Soria, northern Spain after police came across a Google Maps picture of a man allegedly placing a suspicious bundle in a car.
Local police said that the cousin of the victim, a Cuban man, reported him missing in November 2023, after receiving suspicious messages from his phone, El Pais reported.
The messages said that the man had met a new partner so he would leave Soria but not take his phone with him, which raised suspicions.
The picture
During investigations, police came across a telling image taken by a Google car in the streets of Tajueco, a small village in Soria, in October 2024, Reuters and CNN reported.
In an otherwise deserted street, a person is seen leaning over the trunk of a red car that contains a bulky white bag.
Image from Google Street View.
Other images show the car with the trunk closed.
Two arrested, charged with murder
On Nov. 12, police arrested the girlfriend of the missing man, along with another man who was previously married to her, in connection with the man's disappearance and death, Reuters reported.
A decomposed human torso, believed to have been from the victim, was found in a cemetery in a nearby village on Dec. 11.
Police said on Dec. 18 that the victim came to town a year ago to visit the woman, but their current relationship and the motive for the alleged murder remains unclear, El Pais reported.
Police also noted that the Google Maps car provided them with one of several clues in the case. The images are still up on Google Maps as of Dec. 23.
This was the first time that a Google Maps vehicle had visited Tajueco since November 2009, CNN reported.
The suspects have been charged with illegal detention and murder.
This is not the first time a Google Maps photo has been used to crack a case.
In 2022, an Italian mafia boss on the run for 20 years was arrested in Spain after he was spotted on Google Street View outside a fruit and vegetable shop, The Guardian reported.
Top image from Google Street View
