22 Arrested at elrow Town Festival in Torrejón: Police Uncover Series of Thefts. In Torrejón de Ardoz, police have arrested 22 people at the elrow Town festival. Dozens of mobile phones, wallets, and a car were seized. The criminals used a gas spray in the robberies.
In Torrejón de Ardoz, police detained 22 people on suspicion of theft and robbery during the major elrow Town music festival. The event, held on May 1 at the local exhibition center, attracted over 40,000 guests and became one of the region's largest parties. According to the National Police, more than 150 officers took part in the operation, which enabled the rapid identification and suppression of organized groups' activities.
During the special operation, 60 mobile phones, 25 wallets, and even a premium-class car—which had previously been stolen in Málaga—were confiscated. The criminals acted boldly: according to police, they used pepper spray to temporarily disorient their victims before snatching valuable jewelry, mainly gold chains. Some of the detainees specialized in stealing phones, taking advantage of the dense crowds and the festival's duration of over 12 hours.
Checkpoints were set up at entrances, exits, and around the perimeter of the area, which covered more than 70,000 square meters. Special attention was paid to the VIP area, where the stolen car was discovered. According to police, a group previously noticed at similar events arrived in Torrejón, confirming the trend of rising organized thefts at large gatherings.
In recent years, Spanish authorities have tightened security measures at mass events, especially following incidents involving thefts and assaults. Such cases often become a topic of public debate, as was the case in other regions of the country — for example, when residents in Granada spoke out against rising crime and tourist pressure, which was covered in detail in the article about the protests in Albaicín.
