Six members of a criminal gang were last night convicted of the murder of 39-year-old Juan Carlos Tejera. Tejera’s body was found tied and beaten in an area used for dumping rubble near Argana Alta, Arrecife in March 2015.
The jury convicted five men of murder with cruelty, armed robbery, illegal detention and membership of a criminal organisation. A sixth accused was declared an accomplice in the crimes. Prosecutors are asking for sentences of 25 years each for the assailants, and 17 years for the accomplice.
The convicted were members of a gang based in Southern Tenerife which was devoted to violent robberies. In the weeks before the murder, they had followed Tejera closely, and even placed a location device on his vehicle.
As defence, all six of the guilty claimed they had nothing to do with the crime. However, mobile phone records and other forensic evidence led the jury to a guilty verdict. The criminals were also ordered to pay compensation of €120.000 to the family and partner of Tejera.
Sources close to the case stated that the criminals believed Tejera was in possession of a large amount of money, and planned the assault in order to ransom him. Instead, he was beaten to death on the night of his abduction.
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