The suspect allegedly tried several times to assault the off-duty ertzaina, who caught up with him after a handbag theft in Indautxu, Bilbao. The Ertzaintza arrested the 24-year-old on 8 November on suspicion of robbery with violence, or “robo con violencia” under Spanish law.
The officer was walking through the area shortly after midnight when he saw the man take a handbag from a 52-year-old woman who had been distracted. He pursued the suspect and caught him nearby. The man allegedly tried to assault him while attempting to escape.
A citizen-protection patrol arrived after being alerted and found the man being held by the officer. Officers identified the suspect and recovered the woman’s bag. Europa Press reported that the man had three previous arrests; those arrests do not in themselves establish convictions.
Separate figures reported by Onda Cero, citing the Basque Department of Security, show that 735 people in Euskadi were detained more than once for the same reason from January through August 2026. Of those, 327 were detained under judicial warrants or requisitions. Offences against property were the leading category among repeat detainees. The figures cover the Basque Country and refer to detentions, not convictions.
The case is separate from an earlier report on a Barcelona police operation involving an alleged migrant network.
Police took the man to a station. After police procedures were completed, he was due to be brought before a judicial authority. The arrest is an investigative step, and the allegation remains subject to judicial proceedings.
