A British expat family has been torn after their ‘vivid’ and ‘model-like’ daughter was accused of helping to carry out a terrorist attack in Spain.
At first glance, Sasha Brooks is a typical young woman who enjoys life in the sun and regularly posts selfies during nights out in Marbella and Granada with her friends on Instagram.
With holidays in Ibiza, Mallorca and Australia, she wears stylish clothes and is the ‘life and soul of the party’ on frequent nights out.
But her world came crashing down last week when she was arrested with her Spanish boyfriend Naraya Gomez at a house they share in the quaint town of Lanjaron, Granada, just an hour inland from the Costa del Sol.
They were detained in Madrid before going to trial on Friday, where they were accused of complicity in the assassination attempt on far-right politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
The family of British expat Sasha Brooks is torn after their ‘vivid’ and ‘model-like’ daughter (pictured) was accused of helping carry out a terrorist attack in Spain
The 78-year-old was shot in the face by a hitman on a motorcycle outside his home in Madrid’s chic Salamanca district, where footballers Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are among residents.
After the arrests of Sasha and Naraya on Monday evening, Lanjaron, a small town of just 3,000 inhabitants, was turned into a media circus.
A neighbor called Maria told the Olive Press: ‘It was like something out of a movie, the police with masks over their faces were here for three days, taking boxes and suitcases out of the house.’
After her court appearance, her mother said Sasha was “exhausted.” She added that she had been through an “ordeal” and called the episode “stressful” and “full.”
“I had to come to Madrid to help her as much as I could,” said Brooks, who runs an anti-fraud consulting company, Pension Life, where her daughter and friend Naraya had worked.
“It’s been quite busy and it’s now up to the judge to decide whether to charge them or not.”
While her mother later insisted she had not been charged, Sasha had her passport taken away after she was released on bail.
She must appear in court every 15 days and is not allowed to leave Spain while the investigation continues.
Several Spanish newspapers reported that both Sasha and Naraya are still under investigation in connection with the attempted murder.
Naraya was denied bail and sent to jail.
Sasha Brooks’ world collapsed last week when she was arrested along with her Spanish boyfriend Naraya Gomez, accused of complicity in the assassination attempt on far-right politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
After her court appearance, her mother said Sasha (pictured) was ‘exhausted’. She added that she had been through an “ordeal” and called the episode “stressful” and “full.”
He is said to have recently converted to Islam, specifically following the Shia sect favored by Iran’s ayatollahs.
Vidal-Quadras is convinced the Middle Eastern nation is the mastermind behind the attack, after the ruling elite labeled him a “terrorist” last October for his years of harsh criticism of the country.
Naraya, 26, is accused of hiring the hitman, a wanted Frenchman of Tunisian descent, before traveling with him to a hotel in Madrid on the eve of the attack.
Police say Gomez followed the Frenchman in his car on the day of the shooting.
After the deed was done, the killer, who is also wanted for a murder in Paris, dumped his motorbike and set it on fire, before being picked up by Gomez in his car to escape.
According to police, Naraya’s blue rental car was seen on CCTV in Madrid’s Barrio Salamanca in the weeks leading up to the attack, tracking Vidal-Quadras’ movements.
The same car was found illegally parked in Lanjaron this week, leading to the couple’s arrest.
Naraya’s father Sirio Gomez, a yoga master who lives in a New Age commune just outside Lanjarón, insisted the accusations were completely false.
He told the Olive Press: ‘My son is completely innocent, he is not a terrorist. He is a good boy, vegetarian, spiritual and pacifist.’
He said he last spoke to Naraya a few months ago and was excited to introduce his girlfriend Sasha.
He added: ‘He had nothing to do with politics, he worked for Sasha’s mother’s company.
‘He never converted to Islam, that is a lie, he is not a Muslim. He has a Judeo-Christian belief and an affinity with Israel!’
Alejo Vidal-Quadras killed himself after being shot in the face in broad daylight on a central street in the Spanish capital on November 9
The couple were arrested this morning in the town of Lanjaron, the gateway to the Alpujarras region, after another man was arrested in Fuengirola, Spain
Sirio lives in the so-called community of Benificio, just a 20-minute drive from Lanjaron.
It is known by locals as an ‘alternative community’, where people come and go from all over Europe.
Madeleine McCann suspects Christian Brueckner spent significant time there and bought and sold drugs and other illegal goods in the area.
The theory put forward by the police has left expats and locals of Lanjarón in shock.
A local Brit told the Olive Press: ‘They were a lovely couple, no one can believe it or understand it. There is no motivation for them to do something like that, Sasha comes from a good family.’
Sasha’s mother Angie is a pillar of the expat community.
Pension Life has long helped victims of pension scams and fraud across Europe, particularly British victims in Spain, and has also litigated against the criminals.
The family has several properties in Granada and even Madrid, making a financial motivation unlikely.
Lanjaron has since closed ranks, with locals and expats refusing to speak to the media.
But a local British expat told this newspaper: ‘Sasha is a popular character and a beautiful woman who could be seen hanging out at fashion shows or boutique hotels, without taking part in acts of terror.
‘Naraya grew up with his father in a hippie-style commune after his mother died during childbirth.
‘His father still lives there and teaches yoga and repairs machines to make ends meet. He has little money.’
She added that his alleged conversion to Islam was surprising.
“I know there was a LOT of partying this past summer. Naraya really enjoyed having fun. If he converted and radicalized, it must have happened extremely quickly.
‘He always dressed well, was very polite on the street and had a taste for the finer things in life, such as traveling and luxury cars.’
The couple’s social media accounts show recent trips to places like London and Ibiza. In the blink of an eye they see themselves scantily clad on a yacht while drinking champagne.
Police work at the site where Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former head of the Spanish People’s Party in the Catalonia region, was shot in the face, in Madrid, Spain, on November 9
Police are conducting their investigation ‘in secret’ but sources say they are yet to discover the mastermind behind the assassination attempt.
The motorcycle used in the attack was traced to a 22-year-old Albanian expat, who was reportedly paid to register the vehicle in his name.
He would not have known what the motorcycle would be used for.
Meanwhile, the shooter remains at large.