Google Street View Image, First Update in 15 Years, Aids in Arrests for Murder in Soria, Spain

Dec 19, 2024, 01:56 PM

Spanish authorities have arrested two individuals following a year-long investigation into the disappearance and murder of a 33-year-old Cuban man in the village of Tajueco, Soria. The breakthrough came after a Google Street View image, taken in October 2024, captured a man placing a large white bag, believed to contain a body, into the trunk of a red car. The victim, identified only by the initials J.L.P.O., had traveled to Soria in search of his wife and was reported missing in November 2023. The suspects, the victim's estranged wife and her new partner, were detained on November 12 after police found incriminating evidence during searches of their homes and vehicles. A human torso, thought to be that of the missing man, was later discovered in a cemetery in Soria on December 11. The Google Street View image was one of several clues that led to the arrests, although police noted it was not the sole decisive factor in the case. It was the first time in 15 years that Google had updated Street View imagery in Tajueco.