A 44-year-old British tourist was apprehended for allegedly trying to drown a stranger at a Benidorm beach and later assaulting a young boy. The suspect, who was staying at a hotel in the Costa Blanca area, is currently undergoing psychiatric evaluation in a hospital.
The arrest was made on charges of attempted murder, assault causing bodily harm, and making threats after the man reportedly lost control at Poniente Beach, one of Benidorm’s largest beaches. The individual allegedly attempted to drown a 34-year-old Norwegian woman swimming with her partner and then grabbed a five-year-old Spanish boy by the throat on the beach, attempting to suffocate him.
The boy’s mother and other beach visitors intervened, with a lifeguard ultimately subduing the British man until law enforcement arrived. The suspect was subsequently taken to Villajoyosa Hospital for medical attention and is now under police supervision pending a mental health evaluation.
After being apprehended, the man was transferred to the National Police before being hospitalized. No official statements have been released by either police force regarding the incident that transpired on a Tuesday afternoon.
