“You will regret it": This is what the father who murdered his child in a hotel in Barcelona allegedly said to the mother before killing him. The child's parents were separating and it was not the first threat during this process. This time, however, the child's mother alerted the authorities that the father, Martín Ezequiel Álvarez, 43, had taken her 2-year-old son before threatening her.
The outcome was tragic. After the woman's call, the authorities received a devastating warning. They found the body of a little boy in a room of the hotel La Concordia, on Avinguda del Paral·lel. It was the son of the complainant and Martín Álvarez.
The Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra police have released a photograph of the alleged murderer and have asked for the public's help in finding him.
Murder of a two-year-old boy in a hotel in Barcelona
Despite the efforts of the medical staff of the Emergency Medical System (SEM), the child lost his life. Martín had previously escaped, as can be seen in the hotel's security footage. After the crime, he stuck his head out the door of the room to check that there was no one who might suspect anything, then fled the hotel. Before the arrival of the police agents, he had already left the building.
In ElCaso.com we had access to the videos of the security cameras that recorded how the alleged murderer jumps the fence of the hotel swimming pool. Catalan police believe the accused has fled to Montjuïc. The mountain is full of dirt roads, forest tracks and switchbacks. This complicates the search, which is currently being carried out by land and air. Nevertheless, Martin could have fled the city.
At this stage, the Mossos d'Esquadra police are working on an extensive search operation and are trying to locate the father of the minor.
The man is apparently unarmed and may have intended to commit suicide. If the operation does not succeed in finding him in the next few hours, they will extend the search throughout Spain.
The Mossos d'Esquadra police have already taken statements from family members, friends and work colleagues of the alleged parricide.
Case of vicarious violence
Everything points to this crime being a new case of vicarious violence. This is a type of violence that is included within gender violence, which consists in using the children as instruments to make a family member, partner, ex-partner... desperate and hurt them. This is exactly what would have happened in this case, in the middle of a separation process.
For the murderer, killing his or her children or making them disappear is an action that will cause the maximum possible pain in the person whom they want to attack. Experts also say that murderers act out of cowardice and that, in order to avoid paying for their actions, they may commit suicide.
Martín holds a degree in economics from the University of Barcelona and for more than 15 years has worked as a financial manager in different banks in Catalonia. He is now wanted for the murder of his son.