It has been six weeks since “a good man” was tragically slain without any clear reason in the exclusive area of La Paz in Portuense, and his family is struggling with the mounting feelings of impotence, frustration, anger, and profound sorrow over their loss. Fran has been taken from them, likely due to a tragic series of coincidences and circumstances, but, above all, as a result of the cowardly and heinous act committed by an unidentified person on March 16 of this year. Thus, on Wednesday morning, relatives issued a new appeal for public assistance in their quest for any clues, details, recordings, or confessions that could illuminate and clarify the murder of someone who, as his sister, Elisabet Rosales Santana, stated, had no known foes, did not engage in conflict with anyone, and was well-regarded and appreciated by his numerous clients in his businesses at the port of La Cruz, as well as his friends.
The newly released statement reads: “On behalf of the family of Juan Francisco Rosales Santana, we request help. His mother, along with myself, his sister, brother-in-law, and his nephews, are deeply affected by the heartbreaking loss of our beloved Fran, so we again implore you to assist us in seeking justice and bringing this offender to court.”
Second Issue
It all unfolded in a matter of seconds, likely an outburst, an impulse, an unjust horror, a senseless shove leading to a fatal fall, perhaps a lethal blow, an act of aggression that has become increasingly intolerable.
Fran was 59 years old and had been managing family businesses for many years on La Hoya Street in La Portuense (including the well-known Tasca Simpson and La Cantina, operated by the family since 1975). His sister has noted that it is nearly impossible to find anyone who has a bad word to say about him or his history since the dreadful news broke. His family, desperate, is pleading, praying, and imploring for assistance, as no leads have emerged regarding the murderers or their accomplices, and no witnesses have come forward to provide clarifying or crucial information about this tragic event. The person who was with Fran at the time, his friend Juan, who is also from La Orotava, reported hearing young boys and girls with a Canarian accent. Further clues are limited, even though the area is bustling with shops (selling tourist souvenirs), hotels, apartments on that street, renowned taverns, and nightclubs (like the City and Havana), plus a nearby taxi rank, a supermarket, and a pizzeria that was still open—thus, there may be security cameras that could have captured parts of the incident.
Together with Juan and other friends whom he would frequently meet in La Paz on Saturdays, Fran shared a drink (he was not known to drink heavily or smoke and had an entirely peaceful lifestyle) at the City, the famous tavern-bar on this main street in a high-end area. Juan also saw the perpetrator of the homicide, but his companions urged him to leave when Fran was on the ground, and after several hours in a futile battle against death, he ultimately succumbed at the hospital on Tuesday.
Fran’s devoted sister, Elisabet, lived with him, her husband, their two children (the nieces and nephews of the deceased), and their mother (aged 83) in La Orotava. She emphasises that she is not filled with anger, but is shattered by a sadness so profound that it is only alleviated by the need to know what truly transpired, why such a horrific ending befell a person who, as she insists, “never had issues with anyone, was calm and composed, never got involved in fights, nor had any unresolved matters or grievances.” If revenge were the motive, it makes no sense to enact it in a public street.
Elisabet struggles to comprehend what might have occurred, although she is alarmed that such violence could unfold at any moment. She calls for greater safety in the streets and laments the absence of witnesses, security camera footage, or anyone willing to come forward to aid the investigation. Therefore, as her life and that of everyone who cared for Fran has come to a standstill, she seeks answers regarding what happened and why. This motivates the new statement and her relentless pursuit of truth and justice.
Completely tranquil and family-oriented existence
As he emphasises, his brother had reached a stage in his life that necessitated the shortest hours in his tasca to spend as much time as possible with his mother and his nephews: in fact, he began work at 16.00 and finished at 22.00, alongside Elisabet’s husband, who manages another family business in the well-known street La Hoya. Furthermore, whenever he could, he took trips with Elisabet or his nephews, including a recent visit to Santander with his sister’s children. Fran and Elisabet were exceptionally close, and this made it all the more devastating for him after enduring his brother’s hospital stay, the tragic final outcome, and the cremation process, always in the company of her husband and a medical colleague, as he cannot comprehend how someone as kind and gentle as his brother could meet such an end. How can they be taken away, begin, stolen without any justification?
Moreover, to prevent an even more severe domino effect, he chose to inform him straightforwardly about what had happened to his mother near a health centre due to his likely reaction, having disclosed the details gradually: that he had fallen, that he was confused, that he had been taken to hospital, which worsened … although initially, he preferred that his mother not be part of the conversation, he ultimately reached his own house and, though with immense strength, expressed his deep and heartbreaking anguish that they have inflicted upon him unjustly with his son, which can only be somewhat eased if he learns one day what transpired and, above all, if justice is served, although that will never bring his Fran back.
Elisabet does not grow weary of highlighting what transpired “with someone who visited City to see his usual friends present on Saturdays, as occurred that Saturday with Juan, who also hails from Orotava, and who never got involved in disputes or fights … nothing. He consumed no more than a single drink, and the owner of City can corroborate this.
Based on what he has managed to uncover, particularly due to Juan’s account, his brother crossed the street shortly before the pedestrian cross experienced brain death from just one blow, even though the ambulance arrived without delay.
In light of some prevailing theories, he asserts that there was no aggression involving a bottle, “as there were no other shards,” and notes that there was a gathering of individuals vandalising bins. He does not rule out that everything may stem from a simple outburst, an egregiously misinterpreted gaze “or even a role-play or a wager.” His desperation is such that, like anyone else, speculation and imagination run rife, although it is entirely understandable given the lack of updates, clues, or progress a month later in a location that, at 01.00 in the morning, features other open bars and party venues, taxis, residents, tourists, and festive crowds (particularly notable as it was the Saturday of carnival festivities in the port and pools).
Undoubtedly, he places his trust in the police investigation and does not wish to interfere or impede anything, but he feels compelled to once again urge citizen cooperation: “I must do something, especially since that individual is now on the loose and can perpetrate this again at any moment.” He acknowledges that he will likely never escape the “torture we are enduring these days,” but, at the very least, he will persist in fighting for someone to assist them and ensure justice for a good man. “Someone must have witnessed something; surely, it is impossible for no one to have seen this.” He hopes they dare to come forward, even anonymously…
