Police are searching for three people, a man and two women, in connection with the death in Fuengirola of a thief who had just stolen a bag from a middle-aged woman on her way to work.
The incident occurred in avenida Ramón y Cajal in Fuengirola. A woman, on her way to work, was assaulted by a tall, burly individual who struggled with her before running off with her bag.
As the thief fled the scene he passed a group of three people, a man and two women. The man gave chase and quickly caught the thief and subdued him. He then retrieved the stolen bag and took it back to the woman who had been robbed before leaving the scene with his companions.
The thief, who had been left on the ground, was seriously injured and was subsequently taken to the Costa del Sol Hospital suffering from severe head injuries. The man, aged 42 years and a resident of Marbella, went into a coma and died several days later.
The initial assumption was that the thief, who had a record of half a dozen arrests for theft, had suffered his injuries when his head hit the ground during the struggle. However, reviews of CCTV footage suggest that once the thief had been wrestled to the ground, he had been kicked several times in the head.
This meant that death had been caused by a beating, making it a possible case of homicide.