Murder of Gabriel Cruz
The murder of Gabriel Cruz shocked Spain and became one of the most emotional and widely followed criminal investigations in recent Spanish history. Gabriel Cruz Ramírez was an 8-year-old boy from Almería, Andalusia. Friends and family affectionately called him “Pescaíto” (“little fish”) because he loved fish and dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. On 27 February 2018, Gabriel disappeared while walking from his grandmother’s house to his cousins’ house in the small town of Las Hortichuelas. The distance was only about 100 metres. When he did not arrive, his family became worried and contacted the authorities. Soon, thousands of volunteers, police officers, divers, and rescue workers joined the search operation. It became the largest coordinated search for a missing child in Spanish history. At first, the entire country hoped Gabriel would be found alive. Social media was filled with drawings of small fish as symbols of support for the boy and his family. Television channels ...