Gloria, a 52-year-old care worker of Guatemalan origin, died after being stabbed at the entrance to the Carabanchel complex where she worked. Her 59-year-old former partner was arrested in Usera as investigators consider whether the case involved gender-based violence.
Security cameras reportedly recorded the attack at about 14:45 on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, inside the entrance on Calle Ontanilla in Madrid’s Carabanchel district. Gloria, a 52-year-old care worker of Guatemalan origin, had just returned from collecting the six-year-old girl she cared for when her former partner attacked her.
The 59-year-old Spanish national is believed to have hidden in the building’s lift shaft and waited for her to enter. Gloria tried to defend herself but suffered five stab wounds, mainly to the head and chest.
Neighbours heard her cries and called for help. When Samur-Protección Civil and Summa 112 crews arrived, she was in cardiac arrest and had lost a large amount of blood. Emergency teams restored her heartbeat at the scene.
Paramedics took her in critical condition to Hospital 12 de Octubre. A Policía Municipal escort accompanied the ambulance to speed its journey, but Gloria died shortly afterwards because of the severity of her injuries.
The child had been in Gloria’s care. A separate Madrid teacher case concerned alleged sexual assaults involving nine minors and is not part of the Carabanchel investigation.
Policía Nacional officers found the suspect in Usera while he was driving near the junction of Calle Montejo and Calle Ciudad de Frías. Agents from the Grupo Operativo de Respuesta at the Usera-Villaverde district station arrested him.
The man had been in a relationship with Gloria and was arrested on suspicion of homicide. He remains in custody pending a court appearance. Investigators from the Grupo V de Homicidios and the Grupo de Delitos Violentos de Policía Científica are working on the case.
Police are examining whether the killing was motivated by gender-based violence; that remains an investigative hypothesis, not a final judicial determination. Spain’s Government Delegation against Gender Violence said it was collecting information on the case as a suspected gender-based killing. Investigators are also examining the circumstances of the attack and gathering evidence.
