Police hunt for suspect in taxi driver killing in Azpeitia, on the run since Tuesday
Ertzaintza officers have identified the main suspect in the fatal shooting of Álex Aizpuru, a 31-year-old taxi driver, though his whereabouts remain unknown.
Flight after the shootings: Ertzaintza tightens the net in Azpeitia
Google News ES — Crime (es) reports that Ertzaintza have identified the main suspect in the murder of Álex Aizpuru Arocena, known as 'Etxaun', a 31-year-old taxi driver shot dead in the street in Azpeitia on the evening of Tuesday. From the first minutes after the crime, the regional police activated a containment operation to seal off exits from the municipality and distributed an alert to all patrols and other police forces.
Officers from the Zarautz division, which also covers Azpeitia, located at approximately 23.30 on the same day the suspect's vehicle—a grey Volkswagen Golf—abandoned on the outskirts of the town, a short distance from the shooting scene. The police had the full registration plate, and several witnesses had seen the driver flee alone in the same car.
Searches yield no results at Landeta industrial estate
Over the course of the following morning, officers from the Berroci Berezi Taldea (BBT) Intervention Unit, specialists in operations involving armed individuals, gained access to the home of the alleged perpetrator of the homicide, located in the Landeta industrial estate in Azpeitia. Officers deployed in bulletproof suits, helmets and body armour, given that the fugitive could still be carrying the weapon used in the crime. They also searched the parents' flat and a shack used by the family. The search proved unsuccessful in all three properties.
The individual has given no sign of life since Tuesday evening. His prolonged absence strengthens suspicion of his involvement in the crime. According to various sources, the suspect and the victim knew each other, and he had allegedly threatened the taxi driver over his participation as a witness in a previous trial against him.
Five shots fired on Avenida Artzubia
Investigators are attempting to determine whether the murder was premeditated or the result of an impulse. According to witnesses, some of whom have already given statements at the police station, the Golf struck the rear of the taxi—a black Mercedes that Álex had been driving for a few months—at around 20.20 on Avenida Artzubia, next to a roundabout near the bullring and Garmendipe football pitch. After the impact, both drivers got out of their vehicles and the Golf driver fired several times at the taxi driver. Residents in the vicinity heard at least five shots.
A 9 millimetre Parabellum bullet struck Álex in the head. The young man lay on the asphalt beside his taxi, in a pool of blood. A local doctor provided first aid, but was unable to save his life: he had died practically on impact. The body remained in the street until close to midnight. The alleged shooter returned to the Golf's steering wheel and fled; it cannot be ruled out that he changed vehicles to continue his escape. Azpeitia is just 60 kilometres from the French border.
Analysis of mobile phones and surveillance cameras
Investigators are studying messages, calls and searches recorded on the victim's and suspect's phones, as well as recordings from surveillance cameras installed in the municipality. These data could help reconstruct the final hours of Álex's life and investigators are also questioning people close to the suspect in case they have relevant information. The motive for the crime remains officially unconfirmed.
A well-known DJ in the area
The murder has shocked Basque society. Álex Aizpuru was a well-known figure in Azpeitia and surrounding areas: he had worked as a DJ in several nightclubs in the region and had also performed in Ibiza. An enthusiast of motor sports, he participated in motorcycle and rally car competitions. His family, unable to comprehend how someone could end his life in such a violent manner, has sought psychological support following the news.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)