José Guatativot Rodríguez 'El Guati's ex-partner, who was tried this Tuesday for crimes of illegal detention and threats against her, has stated in the oral hearing that the defendant told her that he was "going to kill her" when on the night of October 13, 2016 he took her by car to the road that leads to the Ermita de las Nieves. For his part, 'El Guati' has denied these threats and has stated that they only had "a couple's argument", without any intention of harming her. However, he has acknowledged that he may have insulted her and admits that, "after reflecting", he believes that "maybe" the young woman may have "been scared". "And I apologize because it was not my intention for her to feel that way," El Guati said when he made use of the right to the last word that is granted to the defendants at the end of the trials.
According to the defendant's ex-partner, who maintained a relationship with him for 10 years having a child in common, El Guati went on the night of October 13, 2016 to the home where she resided with her parents in the Arrecife neighborhood of San Francisco Javier. "And he told me to get in the car, that if I didn't, he was going to mess with me," said the young woman, who stated that she finally agreed because he promised that "on the corner" he would let her get out and return the car, which was hers.
"But it didn't happen," she continued, stating that El Guati "lowered the car's safety locks and continued driving badly", even "running a red light", not "doing the Stop signs" and even invading the opposite lane "on a section of the road" going "head-on to the cars" that were coming along the same. "And he would say 'Oops' to scare me," she added.
"When he told me where he was taking me, I knew it wasn't for anything good"
During the journey, which was from Arrecife to the entrance that leads to the hermitage of Las Nieves, El Guati's ex-partner has stated that he told her that he was "going to kill her" on "repeated occasions" and that he even uttered insults such as "whore" and "bitch", assuring that she was "scared". "And when he told me where he was taking me, I knew it wasn't for anything good. I felt that he could do something to me," said the young woman, who also recounted how she finally managed to get out of the vehicle, after, according to her, El Guati braked when he missed the entrance to the road that leads to the hermitage.
"But he didn't stay calm, he grabbed my pants, although I let go," added El Guati's ex-partner, recounting his attempts to get her back into the car. "He got out and grabbed my jacket, but I pulled my arm out, he kept the jacket and stopped grabbing me," she added, pointing out that she believes he stopped trying to hold her back "because cars were passing by." Thus, she said that she "ran down the road" until "the police appeared."
Although they were not the subject of Wednesday's trial, the young woman has recounted that she had already experienced similar episodes before, assuring that this is why she felt scared that night of October 13, 2016. "In Argana, when we lived together, in one of his relapses, we argued, he ran after me, threw himself on top of me and covered my mouth and nose with a sweater," said the young woman, pointing out that "thanks to a neighbor" who saw it and started "shouting", he "let go" of her.
El Guati: "I apologize because it was not my intention for her to feel that way"
"I don't agree," El Guati said for his part, denying that he held the young woman and that he threatened her. "She was my wife, my partner, my friend, my team, everything," added the defendant, stating that at no time did he intend to harm her. "It was a couple's argument. We have all argued with our partner at some time," he assured, despite the fact that the young woman pointed out that she had broken off the relationship with him the day before.
However, according to El Guati, his only intention was "to talk to her" because he had noticed her "acting strange" for "a few days." "And I asked her to get in the vehicle but she didn't refuse," said the defendant, also assuring that "he wasn't going anywhere in particular", that "he was just driving." Thus, he said he didn't know how he ended up at the entrance to the hermitage of Las Nieves. "If I said how I got there, I would be lying," he said.
However, although he has denied that he threatened to kill the young woman, he has acknowledged that he may have insulted her. "And I have reflected on this time and maybe she was scared by my way of speaking, but not by threats," said El Guati, who, however, said he did not remember if he could have uttered any insult against her, alleging that that day he was "under the influence of drugs."
El Guati has also denied that he drove at high speed, that he came to struggle with the young woman or that he tried to hold her back, also pointing out that "at least intentionally" he did not lower the car's safety locks. "If I had wanted her to get back in the car, she would have gotten in," said the defendant, assuring that "that's how things were." "That's the truth," insisted El Guati, who, however, made use of the right to the last word to apologize to his ex-partner. "I apologize because it was not my intention for her to feel that way," he said, then addressing the magistrates of the Second Section of the Provincial Court. "I firmly believe in their justice and their ethics," he said.
The young woman's mother: "I got nervous when I saw that she was taking a long time"
The young woman's parents also testified at the trial, who that night saw their daughter get into the car with El Guati. Although they stated that they did not see anything strange at that time, the mother pointed out that she got "nervous" when she saw that her daughter did not return after a while. "Because she hadn't taken her phone or anything," she pointed out. In fact, according to what was revealed in the oral hearing, her daughter had even gone out "in pajamas."
It was around twelve o'clock at night, according to the mother, when her daughter returned to the house, accompanied by agents of the Local Police of Teguise. "She was nervous and scared," said the mother, who stated that then the daughter told her that he had taken her "to the hermitage of Las Nieves to kill her."
The account of the agents who found the young woman on the road
For their part, the two agents of the Local Police of Teguise who assisted the young woman that night, said that it was "an elderly man" who gave them notice after seeing "how the girl had gotten out" of a car and was "walking barefoot."
According to the agents' account, this witness told them that he had spoken with the young woman and that, later, he had gone to "reproach" El Guati, to which he "had followed him." Thus, he appeared at the police station, to which the agents went out "immediately" finding the defendant's ex-partner walking at the height of the Teseguite crossing "quite nervous and scared."
When asked by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the agents also highlighted that the area of the hermitage of Las Nieves is known for having been the scene of multiple suicides. "I have at least intervened in more than 10 deaths by suicide there," said one of the police officers, while the other pointed out that it is an area where "you can't see anything at night."
The Prosecutor's Office requests a sentence of six and a half years in prison
In its conclusions, the Prosecutor's Office has maintained the request for a sentence of six and a half years in prison for El Guati for crimes of illegal detention and threats, a request to which the private prosecution has adhered. And it is that both consider that there is "sufficient evidence" based on the statements of both the victim and the witnesses, also highlighting the fact that El Guati took the young woman to the hermitage of Las Nieves, where "you can't see anything."
For its part, the defense has requested the free acquittal of El Guati considering that the facts have not been proven. "There was no illegal detention," said his lawyer, stating that there were no threats either, but "an argument." "There is no other complaint or history of mistreatment," highlighted the defense, which has also requested that in the "unlikely" event that there is a conviction, El Guati should only be charged with a crime of coercion with the mitigating circumstance of drug addiction. A request to which both the Public Prosecutor's Office and the private prosecution have opposed. "There is no evidence that on the day of the events he was under the influence of drugs," said the prosecutor.
In pre-trial detention after starring in a police chase in Arrecife
El Guati, who has numerous police records, appeared at the trial guarded by an agent of the Civil Guard and another of the National Police, since he is in pre-trial detention after having been arrested in September of last year after starring in a police chase in Arrecife and trying to escape from the police by jumping from car to car.
For the events that occurred in the capital, the magistrate of the Court of Instruction number 2 of Arrecife charged him with crimes of robbery with force, robbery with violence, reckless driving, driving under the influence of narcotic substances, attack on authority and documentary falsification, considering that there were indications that he had entered "violently" into a home together with an accomplice, that he had appropriated the vehicle that was parked in the garage, that he had modified the license plate of the car and that he had circulated on public roads practicing in the journey a bag theft by the method of pulling.
Then he was chased by the police, committing in the course of this escape "at full speed all kinds of irregularities, leaving the road, running red lights, attacking the agents and finally, when he was intercepted, offering resistance to his arrest."
In fact, José Guatativot Rodríguez was arrested thanks to citizen collaboration. And it is that, after the police chase that culminated in Triana Street, after José Guatativot and his accomplice crashed against a driving school vehicle and overturned, he tried to escape jumping from the crashed car to the hood of other vehicles. However, he did not achieve his purpose thanks to several citizens who collaborated with the agents and made his arrest possible, of whose images even different national media echoed.
