Logroño, (EFE).- The violent death of Guillermo Castillo Herrero, the owner of the restaurant Bodega Guillermo de Cuzcurrita del Río Tirón (La Rioja), has “shocked” the entire town, since he was “a lifelong neighbor and much loved”, the mayor of the town, Román Urrecho, assured EFE.
The Civil Guard is investigating the appearance of the body of this 78-year-old innkeeper, whose body was found this Tuesday with signs of violence at his home in this town in La Rioja, apparently with stab wounds, sources from EFE have confirmed. the investigation.
The organic unit of the Judicial Police of the Benemérita in La Rioja has opened an investigation to clarify the facts and secrecy of the proceedings has been established.
After holding an extraordinary plenary session, the Cuzcurrita del Río Tirón City Council, with 570 registered inhabitants and some 480 regulars in winter, has decreed three days of official mourning, so that the flags will fly at half mast as a sign of condolences.
Population “shocked and dismayed”
The population of this town in La Rioja woke up “shocked and dismayed” after learning of the event, according to Urrecho, because Guillermo Castillo was born in Cuzcurrita del Río Tirón, where he decided to establish his restaurant several decades ago, very popular in northern Spain for its traditional Rioja food.
This restaurateur, who enlivened meals in his restaurant with songs and popular sayings, was “well known” in the town, was widowed a couple of years ago and had a daughter who worked with him in the restaurant and also a son who lived in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, the mayor has reported.
“Guillermo was a great entrepreneur all his life. He came from a very humble family and he got his restaurant with his efforts ”, he added.
With his restaurant and his peculiar way of serving customers, the deceased put the name of Cuzcurrita on the map, he stressed, for which all acquaintances have reacted with “sorry” this morning upon learning of the event.
He was “very talkative”
“He was very talkative,” the mayor reminded him very emotionally, “and he used to tell his diners: you don’t drink water here, only wine, and coffee from a pot.”
The event could have occurred between two in the morning and dawn this Tuesday, he pointed out, but he could not go to the scene of the crime until 10:00 a.m., since he was fixing a water leak in another part of the town.
The mayor has said that the neighbors have not heard or seen anything strange last night and has opined that the possible perpetrators of the crime could know their victim, since “it seems that he opened the door for them.”
This innkeeper “used to have money in cash”, he added, and during the past weekend there have been several wine tourism activities in the town, with the program “El tren del Tirón”, so the Bodega Guillermo restaurant had a lot of customers during the bridge.
He has concluded that, soon, it will be decided whether to pay a special tribute from the town as a sign of remembrance to Guillermo Castillo.