A 26-year-old Algerian man has been arrested for allegedly daubing Malaga’s iconic Marques de Larios statue in red paint.
The act of vandalism occurred during Spain’s World Cup celebrations in the early hours of last Monday.
According to local reports, the suspect, who is said to be homeless, repeatedly asked police ‘Boss, boss… is it that serious?’
According to sources close to the investigation, the suspect did not resist arrest or deny what had happened.
His arrest brought to an end a five-day investigation led by Malaga Local Police’s Investigation and Protection Group (GIP), working alongside the Policia Nacional.
Tracking down the suspect proved particularly challenging because he is believed to be homeless and had no fixed address.
Police pieced together his movements using witness statements, CCTV and social media, where footage of the vandalism quickly went viral after Spain’s World Cup victory.
The widely shared video showed a man climbing onto the statue’s pedestal before spraying the face of the 19th-century businessman red while being cheered on by the surrounding crowd.
Investigators eventually traced him to Calle Sigfrido, in Malaga’s Alameda industrial estate near the Teatinos university campus.
According to the investigation, the suspect had been living in a makeshift settlement of shacks near Avenida Jose Ortega y Gasset, hidden behind a supermarket and close to a stream.
Police believe he had only been in Malaga for a few months.
Although officers examined his social media accounts, they found no images or videos linking him directly to the vandalism.
However, the footage gathered during the investigation led them to conclude he had acted alone.
Municipal heritage experts have since confirmed the damage was far more serious than a simple graffiti attack.
Because the statue is made of porous bronze, the red paint permanently altered the surface. Although it has now been cleaned, experts believe it is unlikely to ever return fully to its original condition.
The suspect is also expected to face claims over the cost of the damage, although sources said he has no financial means. Among his few possessions was an old bicycle of little value.
He has been arrested on suspicion of committing an offence against a protected cultural asset, which carries a potential prison sentence of between six months and three years, as well as a financial penalty.
In a statement issued after the arrest, Malaga Local Police said the vandalism had been witnessed by numerous members of the public before videos rapidly spread across social media, helping officers identify and locate the alleged offender.
