A man has been arrested over the violent bag-snatch robbery that left an elderly woman with life-threatening head injuries in Murcia.

The victim, in her 80s, was seriously injured after being knocked to the ground during the attack in Santiago de la Ribera at the beginning of July.

According to the Guardia Civil, the suspect was finally arrested on Saturday after officers were called to reports of a violent disturbance at a restaurant in Lo Pagan, San Pedro del Pinatar.

The robbery happened near the Club de Suboficiales, where witnesses saw a young man snatch the woman’s handbag before fleeing on foot along Avenida España.

Bystanders alerted the emergency services after finding the victim lying on the ground, almost unconscious.

She was initially taken to Los Arcos Hospital before being transferred to Murcia’s Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital with serious head, facial and eye injuries.

The Guardia Civil’s Judicial Police launched an investigation and analysed CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

The recordings captured a young man near the scene before and after the robbery, allowing investigators to track his movements and eventually identify him.

Police said the suspect is a repeat offender with a lengthy criminal record including offences for assault, resisting police officers and drug trafficking.

After several weeks searching for him, officers recognised the suspect when they responded to reports of a violent individual causing a disturbance at a restaurant in Lo Pagan on August 1.

He was arrested on suspicion of robbery with violence and intimidation.