A dangerous rapist who had been on the run for months after escaping from a French psychiatric hospital has been arrested in Andalucia.
The 23-year-old had been serving a 12-year sentence for gang rape when he fled a secure medical facility in October last year.
French authorities had issued a European Arrest Warrant for his capture over convictions for multiple sexual assault and aggravated violent robbery.
Armed and ‘potentially dangerous’
Police warned the fugitive was considered dangerous, with intelligence suggesting he could use weapons if cornered.
The Policia Nacional, working alongside the International Fugitive Unit, tracked him to Almeria after receiving information about his possible presence in the province.
With fears he could try to flee Spain by sea, officers launched a discreet operation around the city’s port, deploying plain-clothes agents to monitor potential escape routes.
Tracked and arrested
Investigators eventually located the place where he was storing personal belongings, narrowing down his movements and tightening the net.
He was arrested in Almeria city and immediately brought before judicial authorities.
After appearing before Spain’s National Court (Audiencia Nacional), a judge ordered him into provisional prison custody while France’s extradition request is processed.
The fugitive now remains behind bars, awaiting transfer back to France to continue serving his sentence.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
