Man Arrested in Cocentaina for Harassing Ex-Partner with Sexual Graffiti

National Police apprehend a 47-year-old man for a year-long harassment campaign against the woman, including graffiti and denigrating messages.

Generic image of police emergency lights reflecting on wet asphalt at night.
IA

Generic image of police emergency lights reflecting on wet asphalt at night.

The National Police have arrested a 47-year-old man in Cocentaina accused of continuously harassing his ex-partner through sexually explicit graffiti and denigrating messages.

The investigation, carried out by agents of the Family and Woman Unit (UFAM) of Alicante, suggests that the arrested individual maintained a year-long campaign of harassment against the woman, involving explicit sexual content and references to drug use, allegedly with the intent to intimidate and discredit her personally.
According to the police investigation, the victim began to receive offensive notes and graffiti on her car almost monthly, as well as messages and bracelet notifications that appeared in the common areas of her home or even in the mailbox of her workplace.
Agents detected clear similarities between the various messages from the outset, both in content and execution, leading to suspicions of the use of stencils prepared specifically for the graffiti. The investigation also concluded that the responsible person was aware in detail of the victim's routines and usual movements, as the messages appeared in locations and at times linked to her daily and work life.
The Police maintain that the suspect used different vehicles to travel to the locations where he left the notes. Some of these cars were rented specifically to commit the acts. Furthermore, investigators managed to place him at up to ten of the sixteen harassment incidents reported by the victim.
The woman explained to the agents that the situation caused her significant emotional distress due to the constant feeling of being watched and pursued. She reported that fear and uncertainty affected her sleep, mood, and daily performance, in addition to causing her financial damages from the repairs to her vehicle and ongoing maintenance. The victim had to seek psychological therapy after suffering several anxiety attacks and even suspected people in her circle, not knowing who was behind the harassment.
The investigation eventually pointed to a man who had had a romantic relationship with the victim two years prior for approximately one year. After gathering the necessary evidence, agents proceeded to his arrest in Cocentaina. During the search of his vehicle, they found three stencils with inscriptions such as “MORENA”, “TRÍOS”, and “QUETAN”, as well as two prepared notes and a spray can allegedly used to commit the acts.
The arrested individual was subsequently handed over to the courts for violence against women in Alicante.