Prosecutors seek 24 years in prison for kidnapping and attempted murder on the TF-1
The Prosecutors' Office in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is seeking almost 24 years in prison for a man who attacked a dancer with a knife and kidnapped his ex-partner on Christmas Eve 2023.
He placed a GPS device on his ex-partner's car, stabbed her companion and detained her by force
The Provincial Prosecutors' Office in Santa Cruz de Tenerife has requested a sentence of almost 24 years in prison for a man accused of kidnapping his ex-partner and attempting to murder a professional bachata dancer with a knife on the TF-1 motorway during the early morning hours of 24 December 2023, according to ABC.
The accused, a Dominican national currently held in pre-trial detention, had maintained a romantic relationship with the victim for four years and had not accepted the breakup. That night, both were in a nightclub. Upon seeing her accompanied by the dancer, the man sent her humiliating messages via WhatsApp.
Subsequently, he went to the woman's car, parked in a shopping centre, and installed a GPS device to track all her movements.
Deliberate collision and knife attack
When the couple were driving along the TF-1 in the direction of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the accused—who did not have a valid driving licence—overtook them and braked sharply, causing a collision between two vehicles. He then got out of the car with a concealed knife and struck the dancer with at least two stab wounds in a surprise attack: one to the abdomen, above the navel, with a depth that affected the heart and caused pericardial effusion and heart injury; the other struck the left shoulder, where the bone prevented deeper penetration, although the intention was to reach the neck.
As a result of the wounds, the dancer was hospitalised for seven days, three of them in intensive care, and took 155 days to recover completely, although he still suffers from sequelae. His life was saved by a police sub-inspector who was off duty and managed to staunch the wounds until the emergency services arrived, abandoning him "bleeding out" in the middle of the motorway after taking the vehicle keys from him.
Kidnapping of ex-partner and second attempted attack
Following the stabbing, the accused grabbed his ex-partner by the arms and hair and forcibly put her in his car to flee. Before leaving for good, he returned to the other vehicle with the intention of continuing to attack the dancer, but the woman's resistance prevented him.
Inside the car, the man inflicted several punches on his ex-partner to her eyes, nose and lips, causing her various bleeding injuries. At one point during the journey, she attempted to escape by taking advantage of a turnaround, but was beaten back into the vehicle.
To intimidate her, the accused showed her the bloodstained knife and told her "I stabbed him three times", adding that he would also kill her because "I'm going to go to prison anyway". He also showed her the mobile phone so she could check that he had her located at all times via the GPS.
Finally, the man drove to his neighbourhood, contacted a friend and the three of them went to the woman's home. There, both the accused and his companion were detained by security forces.
Charges and compensation sought
The Prosecutors' Office considers the facts to constitute attempted murder, unlawful detention, injuries within the scope of gender-based violence, dangerous driving, and insults and harassment within the scope of gender-based violence. The report also notes aggravating factors of recidivism for driving without a licence, kinship and gender.
By way of compensation, the Public Prosecution Service is claiming 50,000 euros for the woman, plus economic coverage of her injuries and 544.62 euros for damage to her vehicle. For the dancer, it is seeking 100,000 euros, plus just over 30,000 euros for the injuries sustained.
Source: ABC