Violent death in Malaga village: 'my brother died to save my life'

The brother of José Luis ‘El Cordobés’, the man who was killed in the village of Arenas, on the eastern side of Malaga province on Friday 17 January, claims that his 32-year-old nephew broke into his house to steal money from him and that the deceased man stepped in to defend him.

With his voice trembling, seven stitches in his head, several broken ribs and bruises all over his body, the brother of the man who died last Friday during a family feud in the small hamlet of Los Vados, which belongs to Arenas, claimed that José Luis ‘El Cordobés’ "died to save my life".

At the gates of his home, just a few metres from where his brother José Luis, aged 52, was killed, the 56-year-old explained to SUR on Sunday what led to the fatal incident. "This is our nephew, he is 32 years old, he has a lot of problems with drugs, he has been in prison for years and is always getting into fights," the man, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of further reprisals, said.

According to his account, at around 10am on Friday the nephew, who lives in a nearby house, "burst into his house shouting, to steal money from me. He smashed a television and became very aggressive". It was then that 'El Cordobés', who lived in an adjoining house "and who was ill with depression", came out of his home.

El Cordobés "went in to mediate and was the one who came out worse off" as, according to the brother, his nephew "threw stones and bricks at both of us, but it hit him full on and he fell backwards, hitting his head on the ground".

According to his account, other local residents were also involved, some trying to mediate, including the baker, and others supported the nephew, who was arrested nearby, without putting up any resistance. According to the victim's brother, the Guardia Civil has also taken statements from these witnesses.

José Luis was knocked unconscious, "and he still kept hitting him" his brother added about his nephew's behaviour. When the emergency services and the Guardia Civil arrived the man was still alive. However, he died shortly after being admitted to Malaga's Hospital Regional, where he had been transferred by ambulance. The brother was taken to the Axarquía hospital in Torre del Mar, where he was given stitches for the wounds to his head and the fractures to his ribs were detected.

José Luis was originally from Alhama de Granada. He was married and had two children. For years he sold lottery tickets, according to his brother. His mother was from Rubite, a rural village near Los Vados, which also belongs to Arenas.

Residents of Los Vados with whom SUR spoke to on Sunday described José Luis as "a good man" who was nice to everyone and "was always available to help". According to his brother he had also helped the nephew who killed him "a lot".