An 88-year-old British man has died after being violently mugged in the holiday resort of Los Cristianos in Tenerife. The victim, identified only by his first name Ray, was attacked last Wednesday at the entrance to an apartment block called Victoria Court II while with his wife. He suffered cardiac arrest after falling backwards and hitting the ground during a brief struggle with his assailant.
Victim Dies in Hospital After Attack
Emergency medical responders revived Ray at the scene before rushing him to hospital in a very serious condition. He had been fighting for his life but passed away overnight, according to reports. Flowers have been left outside the apartment block, with one bouquet reading: "RIP Ray, We Will Miss You." A friend who met Ray two weeks ago at the Big Ben Pub in Los Cristianos, where he was celebrating his birthday with his wife Judy, described him as "a lovely man" and said: "Can't believe this happened. Rest in peace."
Suspect Identified as Senegalese Immigrant
A man described as a Senegalese immigrant with a previous record for similar crimes has reportedly been identified as the suspect. No arrests have been made yet, but police are expected to provide an update soon. Sources indicated over the weekend that authorities were hopeful of making an arrest shortly.
Rising Crime Concerns in Tenerife
Angry expats and regular holidaymakers have complained that mugging problems in the area are worsening. Stephen Fox wrote on an expat social media site: "Sad state of affairs. Fourth incident that I know of in this exact same area in the last three months. The Victoria Court has external cameras. I witnessed a woman in a wheelchair in her 80s getting her chain ripped off her at 3pm. Police and the local council are ignoring it." Another Brit responded: "It's absolutely disgusting. All Ray's family and friends are devastated. There should be a murder enquiry because that's what it is and this isn't the first time it's happened."
Previous Violent Incidents in the Area
In April, police in Tenerife arrested a 22-year-old Moroccan man who, on the same day, allegedly sexually assaulted a female British tourist and robbed and beat up an elderly British couple. The 89-year-old man and his 79-year-old wife were hospitalised after the mugger attacked them when the woman threw her husband's watch into the bushes during a struggle. The suspect was also linked to a robbery of a Swedish tourist three days earlier. Despite the violence, he was released on bail after appearing before a duty judge.
In February, 18-year-old British holidaymaker Theo Wright from Oldham was stabbed while chasing a thief who stole a friend's mobile phone in Las Veronicas. He suffered a punctured lung and later said: "I didn't mean to be a hero, I just wanted to help the girl get her phone back." An Italian man later handed himself in.
On May 28, a 37-year-old British man died during a fight at Las Veronicas after being kicked in the head. A 23-year-old UK man was arrested and remanded to jail as part of a homicide probe.
