Serial burglar dies after falling to his death in failed robbery in Puerto de la Cruz hotel

[Janet]

A 41-year-old Santa Ursula man died last evening in what appears to have been a failed burglary attempt in the hotel Diamante in Puerto de la Cruz. It seems that for reasons that are not clear, but which might involve his being disturbed during the robbery, he jumped down into the garden, a drop of some three metres and seemingly not a difficult feat, but coincidentally and fatally landed on a one-square-metre metal plate which broke under the impact. The plate was a covering for a pit, and falling a further five metres into this narrow well caused fatal and perhaps instantaneous injuries.

Police say that although the disastrous robbery took place in the small hours, the body was only discovered at half past six this morning, and was recovered only after an hour and a half's work by various police units and bomberos: it is now in the Instituto de Medicina Legal de Santa Cruz de Tenerife for an autopsy to be carried out. Police further added that the man, identified by the initials J.M.P.L., had a string of such crimes to his name over some fifteen years and was well known to them as an habitual and very active delinquent not just in Puerto de la Cruz, but in various areas of north Tenerife. JA

[Michael]

[NAH]

It is difficult to comment when one does not know all the details or the individuals circumstances. Any loss of a life will always impact many others, but if it was 'a failed burglary attempt' perhaps this may make others think before committing this crime which also leave the 'burgled' feeling insecure and affected for a long time.

[Perikles]

I suppose that any loss of life might in some way be sad, but it sounds as if it would have been much sadder if it had been almost anybody else on the island.

[Guanche]

We used to call these own goals. Sad but there you go!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

We used to call these own goals. Sad but there you go!

This is why the Darwin Awards were created.