A Spanish man who won €25,000 (£13,000) in the country's traditional Christmas Lottery was kidnapped and tortured by three former friends who attempted to steal his winnings, according to local media reports.
The victim, identified only as Carlos, won the prize in the December 22 draw last year. Three of his friends—named as Rudolf, Javier, and Alberto—learned of his good fortune and devised a plan to rob him. They first went to the home of another friend, Leopoldo, and beat him until he agreed to lead them to Carlos's residence.
The gang waited outside Carlos's home in Madrid until he emerged with a friend named Alejandro. The criminals forced both men back inside, tied them up, struck Carlos over the head with a heavy metal pan, and threatened him with a pistol until he provided his bank account details. The robbers then forced Alejandro to transfer the money to his account and withdraw the cash.
Meanwhile, the trio ordered Carlos to text his girlfriend, instructing her to stay away from the house. Suspicious, she went to the property, where the men threatened her with the gun and demanded her ID to obtain her address. They released her but warned that if she contacted police, they would kill her and her family. However, she immediately notified authorities, who arrived and arrested the three suspects.
According to Spanish newspaper El Español, the criminals failed to collect the prize money and now face between three and six years in prison for assault and torture. The case was detailed by journalist Antonio Blanco on the TV show En boca de todos.
