A killer is on the run after an 11-year-old boy was stabbed to death while playing football with friends, according to Spanish media reports.
The child, named as Mateo by local media, was attacked by a “hooded man” and a police operation is under way in the town of Mocejon, Toledo province, 50km southwest of Madrid.
The attack happened at 10am on Sunday morning, with the boy’s cousin telling reporters the family do not know who could be responsible for the murder.
Speaking on behalf of his family to the media, Asell Sanchez said the boy was playing with two friends when the killer seemed to slip through a hole in a fence, newspaper El Pais reported.
“The two friends managed to escape, Mateo did not,” he added. “It happened to him as it could have happened to anyone who was there.”
El Pais reported Mateo’s uncle ran from nearby paddle tennis courts when he heard what happened, but could not save his nephew’s life.
Paramedics and a medical helicopter were also sent to the Angel Tardio sports centre.
“He was a super good boy, super affectionate, he was playing with his friends, someone arrived, we have no further information,” Mr Sanchez said, according to state broadcaster RTVE.
“There are no suspicions, it is a quiet town, these things have never happened before.”
‘Killer fled in vehicle’
After the stabbing, the killer fled the scene in a vehicle, El Pais reported, with the head of the investigation announcing the operation to track and arrest a suspect will be done in secret.
The local town council has reportedly declared three days of mourning for the death of the boy, who is said to have been well-known in the area.
His family runs a bakery, while Mateo himself was a keen football fan and supported Atletico Madrid.
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Emiliano Garcia-Page, the regional political leader of Castilla-La Mancha region, where Toledo is located, said he was “shocked by the events”.
‘These situations are unacceptable’
“I express my condolences and my sympathy to the family of the minor and also the hope that the perpetrator of the events is found soon and brought to court as soon as possible,” he wrote on X.
“These situations are unacceptable and must result in a just punishment.”
The Spanish government representative in the region, Milagros Tolon, said police have “deployed a wide-ranging operation to arrest the perpetrator”.
About 300 people gathered in the town square to pay tribute to Mateo and stayed there for an hour, El Pais reported.