Third Suspect Charged for Death in Spain Football Fight
A Spanish judge charged a third person on Thursday for the death of a football fan following a brutal street fight between rival "ultra" groups before a match in Madrid last month.
Police also arrested 17 more who allegedly participated in the massive street brawl before the game between Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna.
Police said the latest arrests in "Operation Neptune" were made in the northwestern region of Galicia, home to Deportivo. Police said all 17 were associated with the "ultra" group "Riazor Blues," which supports Deportivo.
Police had already arrested 21 men on November 30, the day the fight broke out near Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid.
On Tuesday, police made 37 more arrests in Madrid, Avila and Toledo, including the first two men accused of killing 43-year-old Deportivo fan Francisco Javier Romero Taboada. Those arrests came from radical groups associated with fans of Atletico, including "Atletico Front."
Police wrote on their official Twitter account on Thursday that the total number of arrests for the fight had reached 82.
A Spanish judge arraigned a total of 34 suspects on Thursday. The three alleged perpetrators of the homicide were denied bail and will remain in jail while they await trial. A court statement said all three denied the charges. Spanish police said the rest were released with charges, except for one soldier, who was released without charges.
Romero died from injuries sustained in the fight that raged along the banks of Madrid's Manzanares River. Another 11 people received minor injuries, including one police officer.
Amateur video of the clash published by Spanish media showed a person believed to be Romero being pushed off the riverbank wall and into the river by attackers. He was rescued by emergency services and taken to hospital, where he died hours later.
Source: Associated Press
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