The Ertzaintza (Basque Country police) arrested two young men who allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl in ... a car park in Vitoria on Monday.
Police made the arrests at different points during Tuesday morning after their investigation identified the two suspects as allegedly involved in the offences.
Investigators located one of the alleged perpetrators at a secondary school, where he studies. Judicial sources said they had not ruled out further arrests in the coming hours.
The victims themselves reported the incident on Monday. Following their call, several regional police units arrived at the public car park. When police reached the scene, they found only the two girls.
Using the initial descriptions provided by the teenagers, patrols spread out across Vitoria in search of suspects. The police soon found a man who "matched the information we had". However, they initially only checked his identity because he appeared to have an alibi.
The victims spent much of Monday morning at the Txagorritxu hospital undergoing several examinations. They also spoke to police investigators, who focused on a single line of inquiry from the outset.
According to the girls' initial statements, the suspects in this latest alleged sexual assault in Vitoria "belong to the 015 youth gang". The girls and the alleged attackers had known one another for at least a few hours before the incident.
Three essential accomplices
According to police sources, several other people were in the Aldabe car park at the time. They were all reportedly members of 015, although only the two arrested suspects allegedly committed the sexual offences.
Those witnesses also belong to the violent youth group and could face charges as necessary accomplices if investigators establish that they failed to stop the rapes or alert the authorities. The three young men are all believed to have reached adulthood. For now, the duty court has issued arrest warrants for two of them.
The Guardia Civil had supposedly dismantled 015's leadership on 2 October. During that special operation, police arrested the five alleged ringleaders, who were later released on bail or under charges after appearing before the duty court.
The two men suspected of the latest sexual assault are believed to occupy a lower level in the gang's hierarchy.
The two girls' testimony is likely to prove crucial to the court proceedings. On Monday, in addition to attending a medical centre run by Osakidetza, the Basque public health service, they underwent examinations by a forensic doctor. CCTV cameras at several points around the car park could also provide useful evidence.
Following the first two arrests, the Ertzaintza are working against the clock to find the other two suspects.