A man has been arrested over the brutal murder of Spanish exchange student Claudia Tacoronte in Mexico.
Francisco Javier M., also known as ‘El Trompas’ or ‘El Paco’, was captured in Cuautla, in the state of Morelos, following a major operation involving local and federal security forces.
The 21-year-old University of Granada student was killed last Saturday, September 12, less than a month after arriving in Mexico for an academic exchange.
Claudia, who was originally from Santa Brigida in Gran Canaria, had been studying at the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos.
She had been attending an event dedicated to traditional medicine and medicinal plants at the Casa de la Cultura in Cuautla when she was fatally attacked.
Investigators say she was stabbed at around 9pm inside or close to the cultural centre. Her mobile phone was also taken.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed a man wearing a white sweatshirt fleeing the area after the killing.
Witness statements and CCTV images were then used to identify Francisco Javier as the principal suspect.
A specialist judge issued a warrant for his arrest on Thursday following a request from the Morelos Femicide Prosecutor’s Office.
Mexican authorities confirmed his capture on Friday after a coordinated operation involving the National Defence Ministry, Navy, Attorney General’s Office, National Guard and state security agencies.
The suspect was found near a market in Cuautla after residents alerted the authorities.
Police sources said he had changed his appearance following the killing.
Investigation treated as femicide
The Morelos prosecutor’s office is investigating Claudia’s death as a femicide, which is the legal classification used in Mexico for certain killings of women in gender-related circumstances.
Authorities have indicated that robbery may have been part of the motive and have not described the attack as sexual.
However, prosecutors believe the nature and severity of the violence allow the case to be pursued as femicide under Mexican law.
Investigators are still attempting to establish whether Claudia and the suspect knew one another before the attack.
They are also seeking to recover her mobile phone and the weapon used in the killing.
Mexican reports say prosecutors could seek a prison sentence of up to 70 years if the suspect is convicted.
‘Her life was taken from her’
Mexico’s Security Secretary, Omar Garcia Harfuch, publicly confirmed the arrest and offered condolences to Claudia’s family.
‘We deeply regret the femicide of Claudia Tacoronte Aguilera, a young Spanish citizen whose life was taken from her in Cuautla, Morelos,’ he said.
‘We express our sincerest condolences and all our solidarity with her family and loved ones in the face of this painful and irreparable loss.’
Garcia Harfuch said preventing femicides was a priority for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government.
‘When it has not been possible to prevent a woman from becoming a victim of this violence, our obligation is to clarify the facts, arrest those responsible and combat impunity with the full force of the state,’ he added.
Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, had demanded justice following Claudia’s death and said Spanish authorities were assisting her family.
Equality Minister Ana Redondo also condemned the killing and warned that violence against women crossed national borders.
University exchanges suspended
Claudia’s killing has caused outrage and grief in both Spain and Mexico.
Students at the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos held a vigil and demanded improved protection for women studying in the region.
She is the fourth female student associated with the university to have been killed or disappeared during the past seven months.
The University of Granada has suspended planned exchanges to Morelos while security arrangements are reviewed.
Claudia’s family travelled to Mexico to begin the process of repatriating her body.
