Manresa: 45-Year-Old Gardener Stabbed to Death
Three minors were arrested in Catalonia on Tuesday following two unrelated fatal stabbings in Manresa and Balaguer. In Manresa, a 45-year-old man, Carles Vilajosana, was fatally stabbed in the early hours of the morning on Carrer Sant Jaume. The regional police, Mossos d'Esquadra, responded to the scene at 5.10 a.m. after reports of a violent assault. Vilajosana, a gardener and resident of Castellnou de Bages, was found with severe injuries. Two units from the Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) attempted resuscitation, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A judicial team oversaw the removal of the body around 10 a.m., and the case was transferred to the Divisió d'Investigació Criminal (DIC) of the Mossos d'Esquadra.
Two Minors Detained in Manresa
By midday, two minors, aged 15 and 16, had been detained in connection with the killing. Police conducted a search of a flat on Travessera dels Drets in Manresa, with support from the Área Regional de Recursos Operatius (ARRO) and forensic officers. The investigation remains open, with no motive confirmed and authorities not ruling out further arrests. The local community has been deeply affected by the killing. The Ajuntament de Castellnou de Bages described Vilajosana as a "much-loved neighbour" in an official statement. The Manresa city council declared a day of mourning and convened an emergency meeting of municipal spokespersons, who unanimously agreed to hold a minute’s silence on Wednesday at noon in Plaça Major.
This morning, life was taken from a neighbour, a friend, and a deeply respected person.
The statement from Castellnou de Bages’ town hall added: "This morning, life was taken from a neighbour, a friend, and a deeply respected person."
Balaguer: Teen Arrested After Crash Reveals Stabbing
In a separate incident in Balaguer, in the province of Lleida, a 17-year-old minor was arrested and placed in closed-regime youth detention. The victim, a 26-year-old man, died on 26 August when his vehicle veered off the road, collided with other cars, and overturned. Initially treated as a traffic accident, the case was reclassified after an autopsy revealed a stab wound. The DIC launched an investigation and arrested the minor on Tuesday morning. He was brought before the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office the same day. Police sources confirmed the suspect acted alone but said the motive remains unclear. The incident has raised concerns about youth violence in both regions. Authorities in both Manresa and Balaguer have urged the public to avoid speculation and await official findings. No further details have been released about possible links between the two cases, which occurred approximately 100 kilometres apart.
Primary sources: mossos.gencat.cat. Reported by ara.cat, cope.es, CatalunyaPress.es, vozpopuli.com, Guillem RS, elmon.cat, elconfidencial.com, ACN, europapress.es, theolivepress.es, lavanguardia.com, David Gallach | Joana Sendra, Diari ARA.
