The mayor of Arbeca resigns after being arrested for mistreatment and assaulting a police officer.

ArbecaThe mayor of Arbeca (Les Garrigues), Sergi Pelegrí, formally submitted his resignation to City Hall on Tuesday, three days after his arrest early Saturday morning for a case of mistreatment and assault against a person in authority. According to municipal sources, Sergi Pelegrí has already registered his resignation at the municipal offices, hours before the regular plenary session, scheduled for 9 p.m. and chaired by the first deputy mayor, Francesc Roset.

Pelegrí made the decision after several meetings yesterday with leaders of ERC, a group with which he is associated (he is not a member) and with which he has been mayor of the municipality since 2019.

Pelegrí was arrested early Saturday morning for a heated argument with his former friend. Both women requested police presence, and Pelegrí allegedly resisted, even biting an officer during the arrest, according to police sources. On Saturday afternoon, her former partner withdrew the complaint, and the following day, Pelegrí was released after testifying in the Lleida duty court, which charged her with repeated mistreatment and assaulting an officer.

ERC spokespersons have confirmed to ARA that there were contacts yesterday with the councilors of the Arbeca government team, and that they were "given complete freedom to manage it as they wished," although the party maintained from the outset its demand for the resignations of all the officials of Ser Comarcal de Les Garrigues.

Meanwhile, the local group of the Arbeca Municipal Agreement (the local brand of ERC) has called its supporters to meet this Thursday to plan the political future of the City Council, especially to agree on the person who will assume the position of mayor, which will most likely be the first deputy mayor.