Valencia man arrested after ex-girlfriend found gagged in car boot

A witness alerted emergency services after hearing calls for help, but a court later declined to impose restrictions when the woman disputed key elements of the alleged incident

Ignacio Cabanes

A 36-year-old man was arrested in Valencia province after police found his ex-girlfriend gagged in the boot of his car following reports ... that she had been forced inside against her will.

The incident began shortly after midnight on Saturday in Cheste, when a resident heard a woman screaming for help. Looking out of the window, the witness reportedly saw a man forcing a woman into the boot of a blue Ford Focus and immediately alerted the authorities.

Local Police in Cheste launched an urgent search for the vehicle amid concerns for the woman's safety. Officers said the witness gave a clear account of the violence allegedly used by the suspect and described how the victim repeatedly cried out for help.

One patrol, already deployed in connection with an attempted homicide reported earlier that day at a local bar, spotted a vehicle matching the description travelling at speed before turning onto a rural track.

After a brief pursuit through difficult terrain, officers managed to block the vehicle's path and stop it. They then discovered a woman in the boot who had been gagged and was suffering from shock.

The woman was identified as the suspect's former partner. According to reports, the man had allegedly failed to accept that their relationship had ended a year earlier.

Police arrested the suspect on suspicion of unlawful detention. Judicial sources said the Spanish national had a history of violent offences but was not subject to any restraining order relating to the woman at the time of his arrest.

Multiple injuries

The victim, a 21-year-old Spanish woman, sustained injuries to her arms, legs and neck. She was treated at Cheste health centre before later filing a complaint at the Guardia Civil station in Chiva, which assumed responsibility for the investigation.

The suspect appeared before the duty court in Requena on Sunday. However, the judge ordered his release without any precautionary measures after finding insufficient evidence that he had forced his former partner into the boot.

According to legal sources, the woman later denied the alleged events, including claims that she had been held there against her will, despite officers finding her inside the vehicle.

Both parties have been summoned to appear in a fast-track trial on a charge of coercion.