James Warren
THE suspect in the sickening Cartama acid attack has fled a police checkpoint in a 200 kilometre per hour chase it was revealed this morning.
26-year-old Jose Arcadio D.N. is wanted by Police as he was identified as the key suspect in a vicious acid attack on two women on Tuesday.
Arcadio, formerly from the Spanish enclave of Melilla, was the former boyfriend of one of the victims, and has a series of charges currently help against him from previous gender violence crimes.
It was announced this morning that the police had taken part in a high speed chase late Wednesday night after the suspect, driving the vehicle that was involved in the attack, skipped a road block.
The road block took place outside the El Corte Ingles shopping centre between Mijas and Fuengirola on the A-7 highway.
Arcadio reportedly entered the checkpoint at high speed trying to run over the officers on duty, causing them to jump out of the way and fire shots at the 300hp Golf R vehicle.
Frantic calls were made for back up before police gave chase at speeds of over 200 kilometres per hour, eventually cornering the car in the Las Lagunas area of Mijas.
After a brief stand off, officers eventually lost him, discovering the vehicle abandoned later that evening near the Muslim cemetery.
According to the police report, officers searched the area but due to the nature of the area and the fact the suspect resided there, he was able to use his knowledge to escape capture.
Arcadio has quickly become the most wanted man in Spain after news of attack went international, appearing in UK and European news outlets.
The attack happened on Tuesday on Calle Cristobal Toral in the Malaga town of Cartama.
According to reports, Arcadia pulled up in his grey VW Golf alongside the vehicle of his ex girlfriend, and her friend and threw sulphuric acid through their window, leaving the pair with severe burns to their faces and bodies.
The attack was allegedly caused by the fact that the woman, known publically as Sandra, has split from Arcadio just days before.
Arcadio also was subject to a restraining order issued against him by another former partner after she reported him for a horrendous attack back in 2016.
According to a statement at the time, Arcadio spotted his ex in a night club in Marbella before starting an argument which culminated in him punching her and dragging her down a flight of stairs by her hair.
He then took her outside and threw her across the bonnet of his vehicle before continuing to punch her.
She managed to escape and informed the police who caught up with Arcadia after a series of threats were sent to her via a withheld mobile phone.
He was arrested and charged with assault and gender violence and was due to sit trial this month.
Alongside this, Arcadio had a total of 27 prior arrests under his belt for crimes such as manslaughter, abuse, robbery, assaulting a police officer and car theft.
Police are now focusing their efforts of searching popular Costa del Sol resorts , as well as his hometown of Melilla and Cueta.
Investigations have taken police to interview his family members, as well as the victims family in Casabermeja.
The local council of Cartama held yesterday a minutes silence to denounce the attack and to prey for a speedy recovery for the victims, one of which is still in a serious condition in the ICU of the Virgen del Rocio Hospital in Sevilla.
