Oviedo says goodbye to sub-inspector 'Jota' and his dog Deny, killed in the Villafría explosion, while 'el Ruso' remains on the run: "The fundamental thing is to stop the target"

The death of sub-inspector Juan José Rodríguez, known as 'Jota', 65 years old and from León, brought together dozens of police officers, authorities and family members this Wednesday at the doors of the Higher Headquarters of the National Police of Asturias, in Oviedo. There they have observed an emotional minute of silence in memory of the Canine Guide Unit agent, who yesterday lost his life along with Deny, the German shepherd he worked with, when a backpack with explosives exploded in the Villafría neighborhood.

A tribute also marked by concern for another injured police officer and by the search for the alleged perpetrator, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Regarding the condition of Francisco García, 'Fran', the TEDAX agent who was seriously injured, the Police have reported that "he is stable and out of danger" after undergoing surgery, where doctors managed to save his limbs. The main concern now is his vision, since the injuries caused by the explosion could cause him to "lose the sight in one eye."

The senior chief of the Asturias Police, Jorge Ignacio Moreno, has recognized the harshness of what happened, although he has insisted that the priority continues to be arresting the suspect. "Yesterday was a hard day, but the police know that this can happen and now the fundamental thing is to arrest the target," he explained. "That's what we are doing, with all our desire, all our involvement and all the means we have."

The search for Manuel F. A., known as 'the Russian', continues to mobilize numerous police units. Investigators confirm that they have carried out multiple searches in different parts of Oviedo, although they avoid specifying their number. One of the latest operations took place this morning in the Espiritu Santo industrial estate, where an off-duty agent thought he recognized the fugitive and raised the alarm. The warning mobilized troops from the Special Operations Group (GEO), but it ended up being a false alarm.

At the moment, there is no news about his wife, Tatiana B. T., who remains detained as part of the investigations.

Despite the hardness of the day, Moreno thanked the numerous signs of support received, among them that of King Felipe VI, who contacted the General Directorate of the Police to convey his condolences to the family of the deceased and his support to the injured colleague. "We are human and obviously these things affect us, but we are also police officers," he recalled, highlighting the efforts of those who, after caring for their colleagues, have had to continue working.