Workers from the municipal cleaning service in Vilanova i la Geltrú, a Catalan coastal town approximately 50 kilometres south of Barcelona, made a grim discovery early on Saturday when they found a dismembered body inside a suitcase left beside a rubbish container in the Plaza del Enxaneta.
According to local reports, police have since detained a 24-year-old man in connection with the case. The suspect is believed to have shared a squatted flat on Calle Lepant with the victim, where investigators believe the killing took place.
The arrest came after the man attempted to flee and was chased by Vilanova’s Local Police. Officers from the the Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, including members of the criminal investigation and forensic units, have now taken over the inquiry.
Events were set in motion when the 112 emergency line received a call from a neighbour who noticed suspicious movements involving a person dragging a suitcase. A street cleaner later opened the case, revealing human remains. Mossos officers confirmed on arrival that the suitcase contained a body.
Investigators have identified the detained individual as the victim’s flatmate, though his name has not yet been released. Both are said to have been part of a group of squatters living in the same building. Early findings suggest the death was violent rather than accidental. An autopsy is expected to determine the exact cause and time of death.
The shocking discovery has unsettled residents of the neighbourhood, already shaken by a previous violent incident just nine days earlier, when a homeless man with mobility issues was killed.
In a statement published on social media, the Vilanova i la Geltrú city council voiced its ‘deep condemnation of these events’ and urged ‘the utmost caution in the information that is disseminated about these exceptional events’.
The statement continued: ‘Coexistence is one of the great values of Vilanova i la Geltrú and at the city council we will work to keep it that way. We are grateful for the work of the local police, which has led to the arrest of one person, and also of the Mossos d’Esquadra, who are carrying out the investigation.’
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‼️ Rumors i falses informacions després dels dos darrers crims sacsegen Vilanova i la Geltrú https://t.co/c6cQ0MJsbF
— Eix Diari (@eixdiari) September 20, 2025
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