A security guard managed to wrestle the suspect to the ground, witnesses said An arrest warrant was issued for a Bulgarian man three days before he allegedly stabbed and beheaded a UK woman in a Tenerife shop.
The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford said a magistrate had ordered his arrest in connection with a violent attack.
Deyan Valentinov Deyanov, 28, was sent to jail by a judge on Sunday after his arrest on suspicion of killing Jennifer Mills-Westley, 60, in Los Cristianos.
A local job office denied reports that she sought help before Friday’s attack.
The denial, by the head of the job office, comes after media reports suggested Mrs Mills-Westley, originally from Norfolk, had sought refuge in the building just minutes before she was killed.
A note issued by the court has said Mr Deyanov should have no possibility of bail.
Mrs Mills-Westley had retired some years ago, her family said The local hospital in Santa Cruz has confirmed that Mr Deyanov was previously a patient there.
And a police spokesman said the suspect had been arrested on two previous occasions – for criminal damage to property, and causing bodily injury.
One of Mrs Mills-Westley’s two daughters, Sarah, said her mother had been “full of life, generous of heart and would do anything for anyone”.
“We now have to find a way of living without her love and light and we would ask at this difficult time for some privacy as we try to come to terms with our loss,” she said.
She said her mother was enjoying her retirement, travelling between Tenerife and France and visiting her other daughter in Norfolk.
Ms Mills-Westley retired to Tenerife after working as a road safety officer at Norfolk County Council.
Leader of the council Derrick Murphy said the news was “absolutely devastating” for those who used to work with her.
“We offer our sincere and deepest sympathies to Jenny’s friends and family, in particularly her two daughters and five grandchildren,” he said.
Silent attack
“As you can imagine, the terrible news obviously has come as a great shock to us… she was an incredibly well-respected member of the staff.”
Ms Mills-Westley’s former neighbour, Stella Watts, said she was a “kind, lovely lady” who used to take her to hospital to visit her sick partner.
Local officials have been analysing CCTV footage of the attack which shows a man walking into the supermarket – which sells Chinese food and tourist souvenirs.
Witnesses said the man attacked the woman without saying a word.
Local councillor Manuel Reveron said: “The man entered the shop and then cut this woman’s neck and took the head in his hand outside,”
A security guard then managed to wrestle the man to the ground, he said.
In a video posted on YouTube, Colin Kirby of Tenerifemagazine.com said security guards held down the suspect until the police arrived.
Christina Perez, a legal representative at a nearby court, said she and her colleagues ran indoors for safety.
“Everybody is shocked. It’s a very safe area. You can usually go anywhere you want in the day or at night. This is really not normal.”
Eyewitness Colin Kirby describes the aftermath of the attack in Tenerife
Dominica Fernandez, of the Regional Interior Ministry, said the attack appeared to be random and that the suspect was well known in the area.
Regional newspaper La Opinion said the suspect had received treatment at the psychiatric unit of a local hospital in February after being involved in previous violent incidents.
The BBC’s Maddy Savage said this kind of violence was extremely rare in the Canary Islands which attract more than 10 million tourists each year.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in touch with the next of kin and are providing consular assistance.
“Consular officials in Tenerife are in contact with local authorities about this tragic incident and our condolences go out to the family at this difficult time.”
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