Spanish police are searching for Juan Manuel G.P., a 38-year-old Spaniard known as ‘El Niño Juan’, who was kidnapped at gunpoint on Friday night in Madrid’s Carabanchel district.
According to investigative sources cited by ABC, the victim – considered one of Spain’s most dangerous career criminals – was ambushed on Calle Antonio Lopez, near the Hotel Praga, by a heavily armed gang travelling in three stolen vehicles: two black Audi SUVs (Q7 and Q5) and a Maserati.
The attackers reportedly blocked his car, a Volkswagen Golf, in what witnesses described as a ‘sandwich manoeuvre’ – surrounding him from both ends before opening fire.
Police sources say at least 15 shots were fired during the assault, which took place shortly after 8.30pm.
Witnesses described the gang as wearing balaclavas or baseball caps.
After forcing the man from his vehicle at gunpoint, they bundled him into one of the Audis and fled towards the A-42 motorway, which connects Madrid with Toledo and southern Spain. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Violent history and criminal background
Juan Manuel G.P., a resident of Orcasitas (Usera), has a long criminal record and is considered one of Spain’s most skilled ‘aluniceros’ – thieves specialised in high-speed ram-raids – and ‘butroneros’, known for breaking into establishments through adjoining walls.
He first gained notoriety for his reckless driving and daring robberies, earning the nickname El Niño Juan due to his small stature and early start in crime.
In 2019, he reportedly planned a major art heist at France’s Fontainebleau Palace, allegedly commissioned by a Chinese criminal organisation offering €800,000 for stolen Asian porcelain artefacts.
Although the robbery never took place, he spent two years in a French prison for planning the operation and was later released under electronic monitoring.
Those events later inspired the Netflix film and series Hasta el cielo, based loosely on the Madrid underworld and high-risk heists.
Earlier this year, Spanish police arrested El Niño Juan again, though he was released pending trial.
Investigations underway
The Grupo XII de la Policía Judicial de Madrid, specialised in extortion and kidnapping cases, is now leading the search to locate the victim.
Dozens of officers attended the scene on Friday night, including the Violent Crime Unit (DEVI) from the Provincial Scientific Police Brigade, who collected shell casings and biological evidence.
Sources close to the case told ABC that investigators believe the incident was a carefully planned revenge attack linked to disputes within Madrid’s criminal underworld.
