A 73 year old woman, living alone in an apartment block in calle Guadalbullón in the La Palma district of Málaga, was saved by a buzzer around her neck.
The woman had answered a knock at the door only to be pushed to the ground by a masked attacker intent on relieving her of whatever money she had in the house. The robber then put one hand over her mouth and with the other hand began to twist a necklace she was wearing, allegedly trying to strangle her.
However, on the necklace was an emergency buzzer connected to a local helpline. Such a device is often carried by the elderly living alone in case they need to summon help. When she managed to press the button on the device, the voice of the operator startled the intruder and he fled.
A police investigation into the incident has led to the arrest of two people. A 45 year old man has been charged with attempted murder and his wife has been detained as an accomplice. Both have been remanded in custody.
The couple were former tenants in the apartment block in calle Guadalbullón until they were evicted following a fire in the building. The man has a long list of prior offences.