Wine worth millions spilled: Woman arrested in Spain

The former employee of the winery was arrested as a suspect in Villaescusa de Roa, about 40 kilometers north of Madrid, the TV station RTVE, the newspaper “La Vanguardia” and other media reported on Friday, citing the authorities.

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The responsible police unit, Guardia Civil (Civil Guard), confirmed this information upon request. According to the findings, the woman acted out of revenge because she had previously been fired from the well-known winery Bodegas Cepa 21. The alleged act of sabotage took place in February in the municipality of Castrillo de Duero, around 150 kilometers north of Madrid. The incident caused a great stir in Spain.

The president of the company that suffered the damage, José Moro, told “La Vanguardia” that he felt “a bittersweet feeling” after the arrest. Although he was now “relieved and happy” about the alleged clarification, he still could not understand “how such a sacrilege could have been committed”. He was also sad that the spilled wine was lost forever and could not be enjoyed. Not to mention the “economic blow” to his winery, Moro stressed.

Captured by security cameras

The break-in was recorded by security cameras on the night of February 18. The videos, which were also published by the media at the time, showed a masked person entering the storage room of the winery in the prestigious Ribera del Duero wine region at around half past three in the morning and, in less than a minute, opening the taps of five steel tanks containing wine from the premium brands Malabrigo and Horcajo, among others.

From the beginning, it was assumed that the intruder must have known the facility very well. The suspect has since been released on bail because there is no risk of her fleeing, it was said.