Following a fatal explosion in a house in Oviedo Spanish police are still searching for a suspect. A police officer and his service dog were killed during the operation on 10 November. A specialist in explosive ordnance disposal was seriously injured. Earlier, a 17-year-old resident of the house had been injured by gunfire.
According to a report by the newspaper El Español, the suspect was still at large early on the morning of 12 November. Investigators believe he may be armed. The man is being sought under the nickname “El Ruso”. His possible involvement in the shooting and in the explosive device is the subject of the investigation.
The incident took place in the district of Villafría in Oviedo, the capital of the northern Spanish region of AsturiasAccording to the Associated Press news agency, police were called to the house after reports of gunfire. There, officers found the injured teenager and a Backpack with an explosive device in the stairwell.
The explosive device detonated as officers tried to remove the rucksack from the building. The officer who was killed was a member of the service dog unit. The public regional broadcaster RTPA identified him as Juan José Rodríguez. His service dog Deny also died in the explosion. The seriously injured colleague belonged to the explosive ordnance disposal unit and was taken to hospital.
It has not yet been established how the explosive device was triggered. El País reported that officers had wanted to move the rucksack away from the residents. Citing police sources, El Español said the rucksack had been on top of some mailboxes and was out of the dog’s reach. These accounts of the precise sequence of events have not been independently confirmed; they do not establish what triggered the explosion.
According to El País, a neighbourhood dispute is being investigated as a possible motive for the shooting. The teenager was treated in hospital; according to the information initially released, her life was not in danger. The suspect’s partner was arrested. The investigation will have to establish what role she may have played.
According to RTPA, Oviedo declared two days of municipal mourning. El País reported that the Parliament of Asturias held a minute’s silence. The status of the search may have changed since the report on the morning of 12 November.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).