What happened in Añaza?
The original crime took place on the night of 19 October 2017 in a communal garage on Calle Bentacayse in the district of Añaza, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Asunción González Hernández was attacked as she got into her car, sexually assaulted and killed.
According to reports, the woman was 55 years old and was on her way to work in El Rosario. The attack happened in a communal garage, a place many residents use every day.
Around six months later, another woman was attacked in a building in the neighbouring district of Santa María del Mar. She managed to alert neighbours; the attacker fled and left a tissue behind.
DNA traces from the tissue matched traces from the crime scene in Añaza. At first, however, the person behind the genetic profile could not be identified.
How did the DNA trace lead to the arrest?
Police used biogeographical analysis and partial genetic screening to reconstruct a family line. The Universidade de Santiago de Compostela assisted with this work.
According to the reports, investigators also consulted church records and registers dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. In this way they reconstructed a family tree that led to the suspect.
Quiriat Yousef R.P., a Spanish national of Canarian origin and a resident of Santa María del Mar, was arrested. The arrest was made on 19 October 2026 by the murder investigation group of the Policía Nacional in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
At the court appearance, the suspect refused to give a statement to the investigating judge and the police, according to El Día. A DNA sample was taken on judicial order by a forensic doctor from the Instituto de Medicina Legal.
What does this mean for visitors and residents?
There is no reported new rule, deadline, fee, closure or change to travel or residence law for residents, foreign nationals or visitors. The police appeal is aimed at possible victims, not at the general public.
Anyone wishing to make a report can do so at the police station named above. No particular deadline or special application procedure was mentioned in the available reports.
The next step for police is to examine whether the suspect committed further offences over the past nine years. Those affected who have so far not reported an incident out of fear or for other reasons are asked to come forward.
The competent judicial authority ordered pre-trial detention. The suspect's responsibility has not been legally established until the proceedings are concluded and a judgment is handed down.
Where can those affected come forward?
Police name the Policía Nacional, Comisaría de la avenida Tres de Mayo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife as the contact point. People who have suffered sexual assault and have not yet reported it can come forward there.
The appeal is a police measure within the ongoing investigation. The decision on further measures, the proceedings and a possible trial lies with the judicial authority.
What remains open?
It remains open whether further victims exist and whether specific further offences can be attributed to them. Police are assessing relevant leads.
No date has been published for the conclusion of the investigation or the start of a trial. The number of possible further victims is also unknown.
The investigation is ongoing. Police have not published official comparative figures on other possible victims or on the development of sexual offences on Tenerife.