Prison without bail for murdering 94-year-old woman in northern Catalonia

A judge in the northern city of Olot has ruled preventive prison without bail for a perpetrator alleged to have killed a 94-year-old woman in Sant Joan les Fonts, northern Catalonia, on Wednesday.

The judicial investigation on the 22-year-old arrested is ongoing on murder and attempted homicide charges, according to the Catalan High Court. Magistrates also state that the alleged perpetrator could face criminal damage charges.

Sources close to the case say that it is expected that the detainee will be transferred to a prison with a psychiatric facility to be under surveillance and to analyze if he suffers from any mental disorder that could have affected him during the events.

The first medical hypothesis stated that the 22-year-old could have suffered a psychotic episode during the time of the crime.

It's understood that the perpetrator killed the woman, the mother of his stepfather, inside a house in the Font Blanca neighborhood. He then went out into the street half-naked and attacked a neighbor who was arriving by car.

It was following this attack that the Mossos d'Esquadra were alerted and found the woman's body after arresting the assailant. The body had signs of having been attacked with a knife inside the home.

Officers found damage to the house, particularly in the kitchen where broken plates and glasses were found.

According to sources, the aggressor had spent the night at the home and had shown signs of aggression yesterday, intending to harm himself with a knife, which is why the mother preferred that he sleep at the home.

Women suffering from gender-based violence can call the free and confidential hotline +34 900 900 120. The emergency services number is 112.