A violent crime shook Madrid’s Las Tablas neighborhood after 37-year-old engineer Facundo R. was found dead in his apartment. Emergency services answered a call late Tuesday morning and entered the fifth-floor flat through a window after neighbors reported a strong chemical odor and the resident did not answer the door.
Police found the victim in the kitchen, with wounds to his abdomen and back. The initial account put the number of stab wounds at 13; a later report by El Mundo described 14. Several wounds were reportedly to the back, and investigators ruled out suicide. A 20-centimeter knife, believed to be the murder weapon, lay beside the body. Traces of pepper spray were detected on the walls. Firefighters and medical teams wore protective masks because chemical fumes lingered.
Facundo R., an Argentine-born renewable-energy specialist who had lived in Spain for more than a decade, was described by neighbors as quiet and reserved. He had lived alone in the apartment for several years and often traveled for work. Neighbors said gatherings sometimes took place in the flat, but there had been no reports of serious disturbances. The apartment showed no signs of a struggle beyond the immediate crime scene.
Security at the residential complex includes 24-hour concierge service and video surveillance of the perimeter and central corridors. On the morning of the incident, the porter recalled seeing an unfamiliar man leave the premises around the time of the crime, but could not establish whether he was connected to the case. Residents later reported hearing shouts and calls for help.
Police and forensic teams spent several hours examining the scene and collecting evidence. The homicide division led the investigation, removing several bags of material from the property in the early afternoon. The victim’s body was taken out through the garage to avoid disturbing families in communal areas.
In a later report, El Mundo said investigators had resolved the crime and reported that the alleged perpetrator was driven by an obsession with a presumed infidelity and died by suicide hours after the killing. The report’s account of 14 stab wounds differs from the earlier figure of 13; both figures have been reported. El Mundo’s coverage was written by journalist Luis F. Durán.
Las Tablas, known for modern residential developments and its proximity to major corporate headquarters, is unaccustomed to crimes of this kind. The complex has pools for adults and children, as well as gardens and a gym. The killing has unsettled local families. Residents have voiced concern about security and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Las Tablas is part of Madrid’s Fuencarral-El Pardo district, an area that has seen population growth and residential development. Investigators examined traces of pepper spray at the scene, but their presence alone does not establish who used the substance or why. The case has drawn attention to the impact of a violent crime on a residential community accustomed to a quieter environment.
