Arrested one of the hooded men for having beaten up three young people in Inca

PalmaThe Civil Guard has arrested a 24-year-old man for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping, assault, and robbery of three young former foster migrant youths who were sleeping on the street in Inca. Investigators believe the events could be related to a vendetta linked to drug trafficking and, for the moment, rule out a xenophobic motive.

The detainee was located on Thursday afternoon in a shantytown located in a wooded area of Inca when, allegedly, he was attempting to set fire to the vehicle, as reported by the Civil Guard Command of the Balearic Islands.

During the operation, the agents also seized one of the vehicles that the suspects had allegedly used. Inside, they found several knives and traces of blood, samples of which have been sent to the laboratory for analysis. They also located several personal items that had been stolen from the victims. The investigation remains open to locate and arrest the rest of the alleged suspects and determine the degree of participation each one had in the events.

Five hooded individuals allegedly forced them into the trunks

The assault took place early last Friday morning, when five hooded men allegedly got out of two vehicles and attacked the three young men, all 18 years old and users of a Caritas Mallorca care facility.

The alleged attackers were carrying sticks and reportedly beat the young men before forcing them into the trunks of the vehicles. They then allegedly took them to an open field, where they attacked them again and stole their mobile phones, identification documents, and other belongings. One of the young men was stabbed in the leg. All three were abandoned without their belongings and without footwear and were located hours later on the highway by a patrol from the Civil Guard Traffic Group.

The young men had to be treated at the Inca District Hospital for injuries of varying severity. Among the injuries were a broken nose, several broken fingers, head wounds that required stitches, and an injury consistent with the use of a bladed weapon. After being discharged, the three young men, accompanied by Caritas staff, filed a complaint with the Civil Guard. The investigation was placed in the hands of the Judicial Police Unit, which began efforts to identify and locate the five alleged attackers.

A possible revenge

According to sources close to the case, investigators are working primarily with the hypothesis that the events were an act of revenge related to drug trafficking. This is, for now, the main line of the investigation, while agents rule out that the aggression had a xenophobic motivation. The Civil Guard will now have to determine what role each of the alleged individuals involved played and what the specific motive for the aggression was. The investigation remains open while work continues to identify and arrest the rest of the people who may have participated in the assault.

The three victims had been under the guardianship of the Administration as minors and, upon reaching 18 years of age, found themselves without an adequate residential alternative. At the time of the events, they were sleeping in a public space. Currently, they are in one of the shelter resources of Caritas Mallorca, where they are receiving support while they recover from their injuries.

The entity has warned that situations like this regularly affect young migrants who have to leave protection centers upon reaching the age of majority without having a sufficient family, social, or residential network to face the transition to adult life. Caritas has demanded that the administrations and competent entities strengthen support and accommodation resources for these young people and that alternatives be guaranteed to prevent them from being exposed to situations of extreme vulnerability.