Armed robbery at a gaming arcade in the Ronda Shopping Centre in San Fernando de Maspalomas

An armed robbery rocked the Ronda Shopping Centre on Tirajana Avenue in San Fernando de Maspalomas on Friday morning. Three hooded individuals armed with knives—one of them, according to witnesses, similar in length to a bread knife—stormed into a gaming arcade in the complex and made off with the establishment's takings, a haul that could be around €100.000, according to sources close to the investigation. The robbery occurred around 10:30 a.m., when the suspects went directly into the betting shop and threatened the employees with knives until they seized several boxes and briefcases full of cash.

The assailants arrived at the scene in a presumably stolen Opel Meriva, from which they emerged with their faces covered by hoods and balaclavas. Authorities suspect they were familiar with the inner workings of the business, as they went directly to the location where the money was kept and acted within minutes. After the robbery, they fled in the same vehicle, which was found abandoned shortly afterward at the junction of the road connecting San Fernando with the entrance to the GC-1 motorway, where they presumably switched to a second car in which accomplices were waiting to continue their escape.

Residents who witnessed the robbery and the subsequent vehicle switch immediately alerted the National Police, whose officers quickly arrived at the scene. Security camera footage from the shopping center and the access roads to the GC-1 highway is being analyzed to identify the second vehicle and reconstruct the escape route. Although rumors have circulated about possible arrests at police checkpoints, there is no official confirmation of any arrests at this time. The incident has generated concern among shopkeepers and visitors to the shopping center while the police investigation continues.