The elderly American tourist who died as the result of a mugging in Málaga earier in the month was a US Jesuit Priest from Boston.

The 80-year-old victim’s parish in Boston is linked to the Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje, where he officiated a mass four days before his death.

The Jesuit community in Massachusetts transmitted the news of the death of Father Gross via social media which was sorely felt within that church-going community. He had given History and Science classes over the years in a high school in Massachusetts, as well as at the University.

He was attacked on the very day of his arrival in Málaga, Monday the 20th of January, to begin a week’s holiday in the city of Málaga during which he intented to catch a ferry along the Costa del Sol.

He was set upon as he arrived at the flat where he was going to stay and the muggers made off with the belongings that he had on him, including the contents of a suitcase and a small backpack.

The autopsy revealed that he had been strangled, which is a mugging tactic used in Spain called Mataleón (Lion Killer), which entails attacking from behind and throttling a victim until they lose consciousness, which is when the thieves steal whatever the victims have on them. However, in the case of an 80-year-old man, it actually killed him rather than forcing him merely to black out.

A neighbour reported having heard a man cry out around nine that evening and the sounds of a struggle. She said that the cries for help during the struggle lasted about ten minutes.

She looked out the window but could not see where the sounds were coming from, so she went up a floor and asked a neighbour if she, too, could hear it, but the answer was negative, so she decided not to call the police as there is often scuffles going on in the street at night.

However, a group of tourists who were staying in the same street did call the police. A police patrol soon turned up but although they looked around, they could see no sign of a victim, who the muggers had moved into the victim’s apartment.

It was the next morning when the police received a call to say that there was a body inside a tourist flat, clearly visible from outside.

(News: City & Metropolitan Area, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)

Keywords: US Citizen, Jesuit Priest, Mugged, Killed, Father Gross

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