La Manada sex offender to be sent to prison for violent robbery

A court in Seville has ordered Ángel Boza, one of the members of the notorious “La Manada” gang who were convicted for sexually abusing an 18-year-old at the 2016 Running of the Bulls fiestas in Pamplona, to be sent to prison without bail for robbery with violence after he was caught shoplifting and assaulting two security guards on Wednesday.

Boza has previously been charged with driving under the influence

According to police reports, Boza, who was released on bail in June, tried to steal sunglasses valued at €200 at El Corte Inglés department store in downtown Seville.

The sex offender allegedly took the security seal off the sunglasses, grabbed them and put others in their place. “One of the security guards, who recognized him because he had had similar run-ins with him at another time, followed him and asked him to return the sunglasses. But he was ignored,” say sources.

When he realized he had been spotted, he ran to his car but was pursued by two security guards. Boza tried to run over the guards, who sustained minor injuries. The 26-year-old managed to leave the parking station but was intercepted by the police in a nearby street.

According to sources close to the matter, the youngest member of La Manada told police officers that he hit the guards because they had run in front of the car with one smashing his rear view mirror.

“But security cameras and many people saw that the car left the parking lot at full speed down an empty lane, in the opposite direction, because the exit lane was taken by another car and he charged at them when he was escaping,” said sources.

After being arrested, Boza invoked his right not to speak at a local police station, where he spent the night in custody.

Boza and the four other men convicted in the La Manada case were released from preventive custody on June 22 while an appellate court in Navarre reviews their appeals. They were convicted to nine years in prison for sexual abuse, but cleared of rape after the judges found that there had been no violence or intimidation against the victim – a decision that led to nationwide protests.

Boza allegedly stole five sunglasses hours before he and four friends sexually assaulted an 18-year-old

It is not the first time that Boza has stolen sunglasses. The day before the “chupinazo” rocket opening ceremony of the Sanfermines fiestas in 2016, he allegedly stole five pairs with two other members of La Manada: José Ángel Prenda and Civil Guard officer Antonio Manuel Guerrero, who was allowed to stay out on bail despite accusations he breached bail conditions by applying for a passport.

The robbery took place just hours before he and the four other members of La Manada ushered an 18-year-old woman into the hallway of a residential building, where all five of them penetrated her and filmed the encounter on their cellphones. They then stole her cellphone and left the scene.

Boza also has two prior instances on his criminal record. On May 23, 2014, he was charged for drunk driving and refusing to follow police orders. Boza was sentenced to 32 days of community services and had his driving and motorbike license suspended for eight months and one day. Then again on February 1, 2016, the 26-year-old was charged with one crime against traffic safety and another against road safety for driving a motorbike while under the influence and speeding through a red light. His license was suspended for 16 months and eight days for the first crime and another eight months and four days for the second.

English version by Melissa Kitson.