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Child welfare Marbella: couple arrested in Cabopino after baby tests positive for cocaineThe eight-month-old infant was found malnourished and living in a tent on the beach during winter
Málaga
Wednesday, 11 February 2026, 10:34
The police in Marbella have arrested a couple who were living in a tent on the Cabopino beach after their baby tested positive for cocaine. The intervention took place on Sunday, 8 February, when the police responded to a call and found the child malnourished.
The call came from a person who alerted the police that a couple was making a bonfire between the dunes of Cabopino. A patrol verified the presence of a bonfire and a tent under a large tree. Next to it was a car without insurance and with an expired inspection label.
The police identified the family staying in the tent: a 25-year-old woman of British origin, a 43-year-old Spaniard and their eight-month-old baby.
The police noticed signs of malnutrition in the baby, in addition to the conditions of living in a tent in the middle of the winter. After a check-up at a local health centre, the doctors referred the infant to Hospital Costa del Sol, where a urine analysis showed traces of cocaine. The baby was also underweight for his age.
The police arrested the parents. According to records, the mother had requested several appointments at the paediatric unit of the hospital in Marbella in previous months, although she had failed to show up.
The couple are awaiting a judicial process.