There was drama in avenida Castilla Perez in the early hours of Sunday morning when a woman, with blood on her face, ran out onto the street screaming for help.
To their eternal shame, two people walking past at the time of the incident, around 03:00, ignored the pleas of the woman and walked on, although they did return to the scene once the Emergency Services arrived.
Fortunately, though, several local residents did call the authorities and police, Guardia Civil, Fire Brigade and an ambulance soon arrived on the scene. The woman had apparently asked a man to leave her apartment but he had refused, first pushing her and then, in her words, ‘gone beserk’, slashing at his own wrists with a knife.
Guardia Civil officers attempted to gain entry to the apartment where the man was located but failed and had to get a battering ram to break down the door. At what must have been the moment the door was forced, the lights in the apartment went out and in a pure Keystone Cops moment, three of the four officers had to sprint down the stairs and back to their vehicle to get torches.
The man was located and, with his wrists bandaged, was taken away to the waiting ambulance. Police officers were carrying an evidence bag containing a knife. The woman, obviously in shock from the incident, was treated at the scene although, despite stating that she had received a blow to the head, it would appear that most of the blood on her was from the man.