A MAN is fighting for his life after a brutal confrontation ended with a knife blade embedded in his skull in a normally quiet Malaga neighbourhood.
The 36-year-old Spaniard found himself in a situation every driver fears: catching someone trying to steal his car.
But what began as a suspected break-in escalated into a nightmarish confrontation that left the car owner critically injured.
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The attack happened on Friday afternoon as the victim went to check his car, as reported by SUR.
He reportedly surprised the thief inside the vehicle, which triggered the savage assault.
He remains in a coma on a ventilator after his decision to confront the thief resulted in a violent attack in the coastal district of Guadalmar.
Doctors treating him at Regional Hospital of Malaga initially believed his life-threatening injuries were caused by repeated blows to the head.
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But scans revealed something even more shocking: a knife blade about seven centimetres long lodged inside his skull.
The blade had to be surgically removed, with the victim suffering from severe traumatic brain injury.
Police say the thief, instead of fleeing, attacked the car owner with extreme violence, punching him repeatedly with brass knuckles before leaving him unconscious.
The suspect – described by investigators as a strongly built young man – fled the scene and is still being hunted by officers.
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The case is now being investigated by the homicide unit of Policia Nacional.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the normally quiet coastal area of Guadalmar, a residential area near Malaga popular among tourists and expats.
The victim remains in critical condition.
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