The apparent calm of the popular tourist destination of Playa del Inglés was shattered Tuesday morning with the discovery of a bloodied body in a busy area, the stairs that connect the Annex 2 parking lot with the promenade near the Hard Rock Café.
The victim, a man of North African origin who regularly slept on a makeshift mattress in the same area, was found with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen, some so deep that his viscera were exposed, reports Canarias7. The body lay on the exact mattress where he had been sleeping for months, right in the street.
Initial investigations point to a violent death, although the motives for the crime remain unknown. Witnesses who frequent the area and passersby were questioned by the National Police, who have deployed a large-scale operation to clarify the events. The San Bartolomé de Tirajana Local Police, along with the Judicial Police and Forensic Police, are actively collaborating in the investigation.
The area is a frequent stopover for residents and tourists, and this influx of people could be key to identifying the attacker. The security cameras installed along the promenade and in the Plaza de Maspalomas shopping center are being thoroughly reviewed to try to capture images that will help solve the case.
This episode highlights the extreme vulnerability of homeless people in tourist areas, where the intersection of economic and social activity with exclusion and marginalization brutally intersects. Residents and business owners in the area have expressed their dismay and are demanding increased police presence and resources to assist these people.
The body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy to confirm the exact cause of death. Meanwhile, the investigation remains open, and the National Police has requested public assistance with any information.
