Manhunt after priest found dead in flat as 'violent burglary' sparks fear among locals

A manhunt is underway for two suspect and one man has been arrested over the murder of an American priest who was on the first day of his holiday in Spain that has sparked safety fears for locals. Father Richard Gross, 80, was killed during an alleged burglary at his holiday apartment in Malaga on January 21. Spanish police believe the priest from Boston, Massachusetts, died the day before with “clear signs of violence” in the apartment.

A Moroccan man has now been arrested over the death which has caused fear locally, with many believing that tourism is also attracting criminals to the area to prey on them. Two other suspects remain at large. The forensic report by police found that Mr Gross suffered facial injuries and had signs of being strangled. They believe that he was the victim of a violent robbery with his suitcase and belongings missing from the apartment.

CCTV footage is said to show one of the attackers leaving the apartment with two bags belonging to Mr Gross. It is understood that the victim had just arrived in Malaga and was due to go on a cruise the next day after renting the apartment for a week. Residents in Malaga claim that criminals are targeting “vulnerable tourists” in Malaga. “I think tourism is to blame, 20 years ago when it was all locals living here, you’d check if you heard screams but these days people just assume its holidaymakers returning from the bars,” a 44-year-old bricklayer told Olive Press.

“Tourists also take less care with their belongings and don’t report when they’ve been robbed which attracts more criminals. I’m scared, we need more cameras, more police. But the government won’t say anything because it will scare off tourists.” Another agreed: “There are robbers targeting tourists because they are vulnerable and won’t go to the police. They wait until the bars close and then they strike.”.

Mr Gross was a much loved member of the Christian community in Boston having been ordained as a priest in 1976 and had been a religion teacher at Boston College High School as well as at Phillips Academy in Andover. A statement from Boston College High School read: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Father Gross’ family, his Jesuit brothers and all those blessed by his ministry and friendship. We pray for his eternal peace and for the comfort of those who mourn his loss.”.

His nephew, Dicky Barrett, paid tribute in an emotional statement, saying: "He was very good and loving to me and my entire family. I was 12 or 13 when I was an altar boy at his first Mass, which took place in his hometown of Wrentham. He officiated 98% of the weddings and baptisms in my family since his ordination in the 1970s. "He was an educator who taught History and Theology in educational institutions like Phillips Andover Academy and Boston College High School. On several occasions, former students of his, would approach me and tell me how much they enjoyed him as a teacher and how highly they thought of him as a person. I love you, Uncle Duke.”.