It was the couple's 12-year-old daughter that called the emergency services. She was hiding in the garden with her younger sister and couldn't open the door for the emergency services.

Thanks to the expertise of an emergency medical technician, they were able to enter and resuscitate the mother. They then transferred her to the ICU at Hospital Regional, where she was admitted in a critical condition.

The incident took place on Wednesday evening. The first patrol car and the ambulance met practically at the motorway exit for the El Palo district and travelled together to the property: a semi-detached house within a private housing area on Calle Leoni Benabú, in Pinares de San Antón.

Upon arrival, they saw the garage door wide open, but the front door was locked and nobody was answering from inside.

Given the urgency of the situation, they began kicking the door in an attempt to force it open, but were unable to break through as it was reinforced. They even tried from the neighbour's house, but were unable to gain access to the property or see what was happening from outside.

Once the paramedic, however, thought of trying with his DNI, it took only a few seconds for the door to give way using the 'sliding' technique. The police entered first to secure the property.

They found the 35-year-old woman on the ground floor of the house, while her husband, 39, was on the upper floor. Both were unresponsive. The girls were hiding in the garden.

Efforts to save the man were in vain. He had taken his own life after allegedly attempting to strangle his wife. She, however, still showed signs of life, although she was in a very serious condition due to the time she had spent deprived of oxygen because of the cable that the attacker had apparently placed around her neck.

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