Manhunt underway for 11-year-old boy stabbed to death while playing soccer with friends in Spain | World News

According to Spanish media reports, a murderer is on the run after an 11-year-old boy was stabbed to death while playing soccer with friends.

The child, identified by local media as Mateo, was attacked by a “masked man” and a police operation is underway in the town of Mocejon in the province of Toledo, 50 km southwest of Madrid.

The attack occurred at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. The boy's cousin told reporters the family did not know who might be responsible for the murder.

Speaking to the media on behalf of his family, Asell Sanchez said the boy was playing with two friends when the killer apparently slipped through a hole in a fence, the newspaper El Pais reported.

“The two friends managed to escape, but Mateo did not,” he added. “It happened to him just as it could have happened to anyone who was there.”

El Pais reported that Mateo's uncle ran from a nearby paddle tennis court when he heard what had happened, but was unable to save his nephew's life.

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In addition, paramedics and a rescue helicopter were sent to the Angel Tardio sports center.

“He was a super good boy, super affectionate, he was playing with his friends, then someone came, we have no further information,” Mr Sanchez said, according to state broadcaster RTVE.

“There is no suspicion, it is a quiet city, something like this has never happened before.”

“Murderer fled in vehicle”

After the stabbing, the killer fled the scene in a vehicle, El Pais reported. The head of the investigation announced that the operation to track down and arrest a suspect was being carried out in secret.

The local city council has reportedly declared three days of mourning over the death of the boy, who was said to have been well known in the area.

His family runs a bakery and Mateo himself was an avid football fan and supported Atletico Madrid.

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Emiliano Garcia-Page, the regional political leader of the Castile-La Mancha region where Toledo is located, said he was “shocked by the events”.

“These situations are unacceptable”

“I express my condolences and sympathy to the minor's family and also hope that the perpetrator of the events will soon be found and brought to justice as soon as possible,” he wrote on X.

“These situations are unacceptable and must lead to just punishment.”

The Spanish government representative in the region, Milagros Tolon, said police had “launched a large-scale operation to arrest the perpetrator.”

About 300 people gathered in the town square to pay their last respects to Mateo and remained there for an hour, El Pais reported.