39-year-old Juan Carlos Alfaro, the alleged perpetrator of Saturday's double murder in El Salobral (Albacete), died in hospital this afternoon after shooting himself as he came out of a farmhouse belonging to his family on the outskirts of the village.

'El Fraguel', as he was known to the locals, was rushed by ambulance to Albacete General Hospital, where he died of the serious injuries he had suffered.

Juan Carlos Alfaro Aparicio, a car mechanic with an indepth knowledge of guns and their working, shot himself in the head just after three o'clock this afternoon, after emerging from the farmhouse he'd been using as a hideout.  The police officers who had been negotiating with him for several hours, thought he was going to give himself up when they saw him emerge from his hideout, but he turned the gun on himself.

Juan Carlos' father, Antonio Alfaro, had also tried to convince his son to give himself up and avoid worse repercussions, after the shoot-out on Saturday that left a 13-year-old girl, Almudena, with whom he had had a relationship, albeit against the wishes of her family.

A special unit from the Guardia Civil surrounded Juan Carlos' hideout from eight o'clock this morning and specialist negotiators tried to convince him to give himself up.

However, "el Fraguel" responded by firing a number of shots at the police officers, but did not injure anyone.

Huge numbers of mourners turned out for the two funerals in El Salobral this afternoon, first laying Almudena to rest, then, two hours later, saying their final goodbyes to 40-year-old Agustín, who was Saturday's other fatal victim.

After finding out that Juan Carlos had shot himself, one of the locals said at least tonight "the town can sleep peacefully again".

The incident occurred at 19.20 hours on Saturday, when the alleged perpetrator rang the Guardia Civil to tell them he had shot the girl.

Afterwards, dressed as 'Rambo' with military clothing and his face painted black, he was seen going into his home, where he picked up a shotgun and shot Agustín D.S. who had popped out into the street at that moment to have a smoke.

As he fled, "el Fraguel" also shot 46-year-old J.G.A. the sentimental partner of the young victim's grandmother. He took a bullet in the shoulder, but is out of danger.

The alleged perpetrator, an unemployed mechanic, had a gun licence and was a member of a hunting club. He was known as a good shot.

The picture shows Almudena's grandmother and her partner, and Almudena's mother.