Bajo Andarax

Rioja is a municipality of 1,609 inhabitants located in the Bajo Andarax region of Almería, Spain. It is currently newsworthy due to a recent violent incident. On Tuesday, a shooting occurred at a farmhouse (cortijo) in Rioja, resulting in the death of a woman and serious injuries to a man. The Guardia Civil is investigating the incident, with a primary hypothesis focusing on a potential settling of scores, although the possibility of gender-based violence has not been entirely ruled out. The alleged perpetrators, Rocío Rodríguez Gómez and Javier Nieto Santiago, fled the scene after the shooting and were at large until they surrendered to the Guardia Civil on Saturday morning. The incident has brought attention to the Bajo Andarax region and raised concerns about violence in the area.