The alleged perpetrator of 76 burglaries in l’Horta de Lleida is back on the streets. The 24-year-old was arrested on June 18 by the Investigation Unit (UI) of the Mossos d’Esquadra in Segrià and was released last Tuesday, July 28, just 39 days after a court ordered his preventive detention without bail.
The decision, adopted after upholding an appeal by the defense, contradicts the initial ruling, which found a risk of criminal reoffending and flight. Residents of l’Horta, grouped together in the Horta Segura Platform, believe the judicial system has just sent a devastating message: recidivism is presumed, but not punished.
The record behind the 76 burglaries in l’Horta
The investigation gathered overwhelming evidence against E.C.C. and his alleged co-author A.N. The initial ruling stated that both suspects’ mobile phones pinged near the burglarized homes, that security cameras identified them, and that intercepted communications revealed how they planned the break-ins and divided the stolen goods.
Of the 76 burglaries attributed to them, five included a particularly serious aggravating factor: setting the homes on fire after the assault. A modus operandi that terrifies owners of the plots in l’Horta, whose homes—whether vacation properties or primary residences—became the target of a gang that did not hesitate to destroy evidence and property.
E.C.C.’s arrest was not routine. The operation began at 5:30 a.m. in La Bordeta and lasted about two hours because the suspect attempted to flee. He was eventually found at a relative’s home, hidden between a mattress and a bed base, with people lying on top to hinder his discovery. The scene portrays an individual aware of his situation and willing to evade justice.
The appeal that overturned preventive detention
The first ruling, issued by the Investigating Section of Court of Instance 3 in Lleida, was unequivocal: preventive detention without bail. The judge found a risk of criminal reoffending and flight—a logical conclusion given the criminal record attributed to him and his behavior during arrest.
The defense filed an appeal that succeeded. In just 39 days, the court granted release pending trial and dismantled the arguments that had led to imprisonment. E.C.C., who denied the charges when brought before the judge, will now await trial as a free man.
The question is unavoidable: what has changed in just over a month to make the risk of reoffending disappear? For the victims, the answer is nothing. The Horta Segura Platform, which serves as the private prosecution and represents the affected families, has expressed deep concern over a decision that, in their view, confirms impunity.
The real impact on l’Horta residents
The release of E.C.C. is not an isolated event. It is confirmation of a dynamic that l’Horta residents have long denounced: the judicial system does not protect law-abiding citizens from repeat offenders. The numbers speak for themselves: 76 burglaries, five burned homes, dozens of affected families, and the alleged mastermind back on the street.
The decision sends a perverse message to criminals: committing 76 burglaries and burning houses is not enough to stay in preventive detention for more than 39 days. Meanwhile, residents wonder whether they must reinforce security measures, install more cameras, more alarms, more protection. Once again, the burden falls on the victims.
The case of A.N., the first to be jailed in the case, adds further uncertainty. If E.C.C.’s defense has secured release with similar arguments, how long before the same decision comes for the co-author? The platform fears the case will be diluted and both suspects will await trial as free men.
A devastating message for l’Horta’s security
This release highlights an uncomfortable truth: criminal justice in Lleida has a serious problem with repeat offending. Victims believe the criteria for keeping an alleged habitual offender in prison are too restrictive, and that defense appeals succeed too easily. The result is that habitual criminals know that, even if arrested, they will likely await trial in freedom.
There is also double victimization. The direct victims of the burglaries and arson suffer material loss and emotional trauma; then they watch as the system meant to protect them turns its back and allows their alleged assailants back onto the streets within weeks.
The Horta Segura Platform has announced it will explore further legal action to challenge the decision. But victims know the room for maneuver is limited: appeals are complex, slow, and costly. In the meantime, insecurity remains a daily reality in l’Horta.
Judicial policy in the crosshairs
The release of E.C.C. is not just local news. It is a symptom of a broader problem affecting Catalonia and Spain: the judicial system’s lack of firmness against repeat and organized crime. When an individual faces 76 attributed burglaries, with arson as an aggravating factor, and is released from prison in 39 days, something is wrong. The risk of reoffending that justified imprisonment does not vanish by magic; l’Horta residents know this, which is why their fear is well-founded.
Judicial policy in Catalonia, shaped by the influence of the independence movement and its disregard for public safety, needs urgent change. Law-abiding citizens deserve a justice system that protects them, not one that becomes an accomplice to impunity. The release of E.C.C. is a mistake that could have serious consequences for l’Horta’s security and for public trust in institutions.
The immediate future is uncertain. E.C.C. will await trial as a free man, and l’Horta’s victims must live with the fear that the alleged perpetrator of 76 burglaries will strike again. Justice has spoken, but it has spoken badly. And the residents of l’Horta who feel Spanish and believe in the rule of law wonder how much more they must endure before someone—in the judiciary or in politics—takes action.