Laurence Dollimore
INVESTIGATORS are working around the clock to discover what happened to 18-year-old Alvaro Prieto.
The aspiring football player and engineering student was discovered lodged between two train carriages in Sevilla on Monday morning.
The grisly discovery came almost 100 hours after he vanished on Thursday morning when he failed to get his train home to Cordoba.
The teenager, who played for the youth side Cordoba FC, had been partying the night before at the Teatro nightclub, some 3.5km from Sevilla’s Santa Justa station.
According to ABC Sevilla, his mother Julia has insisted: “Either a car has taken him away and they did everything to him, or while walking he was hit by a car, it’s that simple.”
Below is a timeline of his disappearance.
7.20am: Alvaro leaves the nightclub
At around 7.20am last Thursday, Alvaro leaves the Teatro nightclub in Sevilla Este with barely any battery left on his mobile phone.
He took one last selfie with his friend before heading to the Santa Justa train station, which is seven minutes by car or 44 minutes by foot.
Alvaro sends a Whatsapp message to his parents at 7.22am saying: “I’m going to the station.” However he failes to arrive on time for his 7.35am train.
He skips a security check to board the 8.55am RENFE service to Barcelona, which stops at Cordoba, but is rumbled by security guards.
The teenager, who was born in Russia but adopted by Spanish parents, tries to explain his situation but is told to leave the train.
9am: Alvaro leaves Santa Justa station
At around 9am, Alvaro is seen on CCTV leaving Santa Justa station in the direction of Kansas City avenue.
He is wearing beige trousers, a green shirt and white trainers.
The football player, who teammates describe as a ‘physical marvel’ and ‘explosive’ on the field, is then seen by a local.
10.30am: Witness claims she sees Alvaro on the street
At around 10.30am, a local middle-aged woman claims she saw a blonde boy, measuring around 6ft tall with a strong build, wearing beige pants and a green shirt.
The witness told police he was walking alone towards the area of Las Huertas, near the San Pablo sports complex, which is around a 20-minute walk from Santa Justa train station.
It is at this time that Alvaro’s sister begins calling all his friends to see if they know where her brother is.
Alarm bells begin ringing and his parents, Rafael and Julia, head to Sevilla to begin searching for him, desperately asking staff at Santa Justa station what happened.
They file a missing persons report with the police, who tell them to return home and that the usual protocols will be initiated if he remains missing.
24 hours after Alvaro’s disappearance
By Friday morning, the story of Alvaro’s disappearance has spread nationwide and police activate the ‘disturbing disappearances protocol’.
Officers collect CCTV footage from Santa Justa and Kansas City avenue, including from shops and businesses.
48 hours after Alvaro’s disappearance
Policia Nacional, Policia Local and Guardia Civil have now all been roped into the search.
The forces are combing through Santa Justa, Kansas City avenue and the surrounding roads, including some motorway exits, for any clues.
Volunteers from SOS Desaparecidos Andalucia also join the search, but the day ends without any results.
72 hours after Alvaro’s disappearance
Police have been inundated with calls claiming Alvaro was seen in various locations across Spain, including a bus station in Aljarafe in Huelva.
Meanwhile Alvaro’s deeply religious family and friends continue to pray as they fill their local church and wait for news.
The Military Emergency Unit (UME) intensify the search in the area between the Carmona highway bridge and Calle de Febrero.
Sniffer dogs are also brought in later in the evening but are unable to pick up a scent.
Almost 100 hours after Alvaro’s disappearance
By Monday morning, a full no-resources-spared search is underway to find Alvaro.
A friend told ABC the amount of effort being put in by authorities was ‘impressive’.
However things came to a screeching halt when a live TV report sees two feet sticking out between the carriages of a moving train in Sevilla.
Tragically, it was confirmed by police to be the body of Alvaro.
RENFE issues statement
It still remains a mystery as to how Alvaro ended up between two train carriages.
Train operator Renfe issues a statement claiming the train in question had been out of service for weeks.
In the days since Alvaro had disappeared it had been stationery, and only moved on Monday morning as it was heading for maintenance works.
The investigation continues.
