Two men have been arrested in Madrid in connection with the fatal poisoning of a 42-year-old American tycoon and former CEO of a Spanish shipyard, whose lifeless body was found at the top-end Westin Palace Hotel in central Madrid in October.
The victim, identified as New Jersey-born José Rosado, had returned to his hotel room with “two or three” men on the night of Oct. 29, according to hotel surveillance footage.
When his partner in Miami lost touch with him, hotel workers at the former palace, which was built by Spanish King Alfonso XIII in 1912, opened his door and found him dead.
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Police did not immediately suspect foul play as there was no apparent sign of violence or suffocation. They told local media that Rosado had died of natural causes.
Even after the discovery of fatal doses of psychotropic substances and alcohol in his system, poisoning was not suspected until it became apparent that Rosado had also been robbed.
An investigation by Scientific Police determined that some of his belongings were missing, after his partner in Miami was able to corroborate what he packed for the trip.
On Monday, after a lengthy investigation during which it became clear that he was likely killed in a “chemical submission” attempt. Police remanded into custody a 39-year-old Romanian with nine previous arrests, and a 29-year-old Moroccan man with 17 arrests for what police described as “similar events.”
The two are thought to have gone shopping with the dead American’s credit card after they allegedly killed him.
Rosado had become CEO of Spain’s biggest private shipbuilding company Hijos de J. Barreras, which was established in 1892, in 2020. He left the company, which manufactures yachts for the Ritz-Carlton company, in 2021.
The Madrid homicide squad now says the victim met his alleged killers at a party on Oct. 29 and invited them back to his room for sex.
Police say the men likely lured the unsuspecting American for the purpose of drugging him, then stealing from him. Police were able to trace the suspects by DNA left at the scene. When they were arrested they were found with a combined €2,500 in cash, new mobile phones and other computer equipment, jewelry and documents that did not belong to them, and which may have been used for fraudulent activity.
They have been charged with homicide, robbery with violence, and fraud.
