Murder of Begoña Villacís' brother in a possible settling of accounts

Madrid, June 4 - Borja Villacís, brother of Begoña Villacís, former vice mayor of Madrid and former leader of Ciudadanos, was shot dead this Tuesday in the Madrid district of Fuencarral-El Pardo in an apparent settling of scores. The National Police have arrested a woman in connection with the crime, while the search for two other suspects continues.

The event occurred around 12:30 on M-612. Villacís, 43, was traveling in a vehicle accompanied by another man who was seriously injured. According to witnesses, the shooting was carried out by three people armed with hunting rifles from another car. Borja Villacís received several fatal shots in the chest and head, and the emergency services could do nothing to save his life.

The attackers fled the scene and his vehicle was located about six kilometers to the east, in a field in front of the Mediaset headquarters. Witnesses captured on video a man and a woman changing car license plates. At the scene, police found bags and boxes with firearms, which are being analyzed to determine their relationship to the crime.

Villacís' companion, who suffered gunshot wounds, arrived on his own at the Jiménez Díaz Foundation, where he was admitted in serious condition. The detained woman, 52 years old and with a police record, was located in the Plaza Elíptica in Madrid and transferred to the Police Headquarters for interrogation.

The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has expressed his condolences to the Villacís family and has asked for calm, ensuring that the investigation is progressing and that they expect results shortly.

Borja Villacís was related to Ultra Sur, a radical group of Real Madrid fans, and had a criminal record, including a conviction for assault in 2004 and an indictment in a drug trafficking case investigated by the National Court.