The Catalan Police received notification of a dispute inside the premises on Santa Anna street on Thursday afternoon, around 7 PM. Several patrols were dispatched to the location and found the victim showing signs of violence. SEM technicians were unable to save her life. It is being investigated whether the incident might be linked to a confrontation between Latin gangs involved in drug trafficking.
The building, which was historically a hardware store in the city, has been owned by an investment fund since November 2017. The L'Hospitalet City Council was aware of the occupation since October 3, 2023, following a neighborhood alert. At that time, the Mossos d'Esquadra intervened, but the occupation had already been legally consolidated.
Both the City Council and the Guàrdia Urbana (Local Police) had been monitoring the situation, which generated fear and insecurity among residents. In early 2024, the Guàrdia Urbana identified several residents and prepared a report for the Urban Planning department. Subsequently, an inspection with voluntary access was carried out to document the state of the property.
Despite all the actions taken, the sad fatal outcome leads us to reflect that a solution must be found so that all this does not happen again.
Since it is private property, any police action inside the premises requires a judicial order. The owner informed the City Council in October 2024 that they had filed the corresponding complaint and that the judicial procedure was pending resolution. For months, there had been sustained police pressure, including intensive controls and the constant presence of a Guàrdia Urbana patrol in front of the premises to pressure the occupants.
