A routine image captured by Google Street View helped Spanish authorities solve a missing-person case. The image, taken from northern Spain, shows a man loading a white bag into a car trunk. National Police said the image was one of the clues that led to the arrest of two people suspected of being involved in the disappearance and death of a 33-year-old Cuban man.
The victim had been reported missing by his cousin, who told police he had been in regular contact with him by phone. However, after a period of silence, suspicious messages began arriving on his phone, claiming he had met someone new and moved away from Spain. The cousin became suspicious and contacted the National Police.
Investigators focused on two people who were ultimately arrested last month at two locations in Soria, Spain. They also discovered human remains believed to belong to the missing man at a cemetery in Soria. The police will charge the arrested pair with aggravated illegal detention in connection with the victim’s disappearance and death.
This is not the first time Google Maps has helped law enforcement solve a case. In 2022, Italian authorities used the service to track down a fugitive convicted of murder. However, Google’s Street View cars have raised privacy concerns, with some people objecting to being filmed by these cameras.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/google-maps-spain-arrests.html