The Guardia Civil Judicial Police continue to investigate the death of Juan José VJ, a 53-year-old resident of Santa Lucía whose body was found last Friday in the Los Frailes ravine (Mogán). The body was found with numerous injuries including several deep cuts believed to be the result of stab wounds, according to sources close to the investigation, who added that it has now been ruled out that his death occurred due to a fall. This is now a homicide investigation.
All indications point to a violent death
The Guardia Civil Judicial Police and Criminal Forensics are trying to clarify how Juan José VJ died. Given the evidence presented by the body, investigators from the Guardia Civil main post, Puerto Rico-Mogán, travelled to the scene on Friday evening, and received support from the criminal investigation team, from Las Palmas Command, specialised in this type of crime.
The body, according to sources consulted, presented various bruises and other injuries that could have been related to a fall, but various deep cuts made the investigation focus on locating any type of indication that might incriminate another person having ended the life of Juan José VJ. Agents also inspected the vicinity of the place where his body was discovered, in the El Fraile ravine between Tauro and Taurito, and located the victim’s belongings, stowed away about 200 meters from where he was found.
Evidence collection lasted more than four hours. Firefighters of the Puerto Rico Park Consortium and members of the Mogán Protección Civil also attended the scene, in charge of lighting the area so that the agents could carry out their work.
This meant a large emergency team of first responders remaining in the ravine until the early hours of the morning. It was not until after 3am when the judge ordered the removal of the man’s body. Firefighters used a truck equipped with an articulated arm to assist in moving him from the channel at the bottom of the ravine.
The body was transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where forensic doctors carried out an autopsy which, according to the same sources quoted in Spanish daily La Provincia, determined that the man’s death had been violent. The autopsy also estimated that the victim could have been dead for several hours prior to the discovery.
The Guardia Civil continues with the investigation to try to identify and locate the killer and proceed with his arrest.
