Woman arrested for stabbing sports reporter’s wife hired hitmen, say sources

A 25-year-old woman who has been arrested for allegedly stabbing the wife and daughter of a popular radio sports journalist on Wednesday morning is also reported to have hired hitmen from Eastern Europe to kill the celebrity’s spouse, sources close to the investigation told Efe on Thursday.

The hitmen from Bulgaria never carried out the assignment, even after suspect Lorena Fernández Gallego paid them a significant amount of money, the sources said.

Fernández Gallego and 30-year-old Iván Trepiana Palao were arrested on Wednesday after they reportedly attacked the wife and daughter of Paco González, a COPE radio sports journalist and former sports director of the program Carrusel Deportivo, which is carried on the SER radio network.

Paco González filed a complaint with police in Las Rozas after he received harassing emails

The incident occurred at around 8.45am on Wednesday after González’s wife Maite dropped off their son Iñigo at a school in the Madrid suburb of Boadilla del Monte. She was driving with her 19-year-old daughter María, whom she had planned to take to her university.

At a stop on Playa de Saler street, a man and a woman armed with knives ordered them to stop and forced themselves into their vehicle. A struggle ensued and Maite was stabbed five times, including in her chest. The daughter was stabbed in her leg and arm.

María was able to escape and get help from a truck driver, but the two suspects fled.

The Civil Guard, in cooperation with the Boadilla police, was able to locate Fernández Gallego and Trepiana Palao near the scene of the crime. Later, they found a Ford Fiesta parked in the Majadahonda cemetery that belonged to the suspects. They recovered a backpack containing a shirt, a bed sheet and two sets of handcuffs.

Authorities said that Fernández Gallego is originally from Valladolid and works as a nurse, while her alleged accomplice is from San Sebastián and is unemployed. Both have no prior criminal records.

In October, Paco González filed a complaint with police in Las Rozas after he received harassing emails. The Civil Guard had attempted to find the sender of the messages but was unsuccessful.

According to Efe, González had acknowledged that he had gone out with the female suspect and a group of people for drinks on at least one occasion, and knew her because she was a regular caller to his program.

Both suspects are facing attempted murder charges. Investigators are trying to determine whether the two were trying to kidnap the wife and daughter.

Both Maite and María are recovering at a local hospital and are reported to be in a stable condition.