A 46 year old woman and her 16 year old son have been arrested by the National Police for the murder of an 80-year-old woman in her villa in Torrellano, close to Alicante-Elche airport, where she had lived for 20 years.
Early reports stated that the dead woman, identified as Monica W, was British, although more recent accounts are now suggesting that, although she held a British passport, she was a German national, the widow of an Englishman who passed away several years ago, since which time she had been living in the 400,000€ property alone.
The National Police considers the mother to be the perpetrator of the crime while her son helped her to move the body and eliminate evidence. The arrested woman practices sports shooting and owned a 22-calibre Beretta pistol which was found at the scene of the crime.
The motive for the crime has not yet been clarified, but it is not thought to have been robbery. It was confirmed that the detained mother knew the victim, so it is assumed that her intention was to obtain some type of economic benefit before the crime.
Monica was killed by three shots at her home in the Torre Azul urbanization, close to Alicante-Elche airport.
Earlier on Wednesday evening a plumber was called to Monica’s house to carry out some emergency repairs but when she failed to open the door he raised the alarm.
Local residents, including the plumber, reported sightings of ‘two people dressed in black’ fleeing the 80-year-old woman’s house.
One eye-witness saw a man and woman drive off in a black car and both were hooded and wore face masks.
The National Police detained the minor at the Elche Police Station, while the mother is being held in the cells of the Alicante Provincial Police Station.
