The ‘vampire’ of flesh and blood who slept in a cave and attacked at night

When we think of horror stories, it is normal to think of ghosts, werewolves, or even vampires. If we think especially of the latter, the name ‘Dracula’ probably appears almost instantly, as it is a very clear reference to these characters who are characterized by drinking human blood, being afraid of light and who may or may not fly, since they are closely associated with bats.

However, What would you think if we told you that this character could have existed in a Latin American country?

In the 1950s, there was a character in Argentine history that really scared the city of Monteros, in Tucumán. A case that transcended the barriers of the province and became a story of national interest. This is the story of Florencio Roque Fernández or better known as ‘The Window Vampire’, the biggest serial killer Argentina ever had.

Or so it seems.

A tragedy that could have been avoided

Florencio Roque Fernández was born into a humble family in 1935. He was born in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city of Monteros. His childhood was a bit complicated, since from a very young age he presented strange behaviors. So much so, that he was diagnosed with a psychopathy that later became schizophrenia.

He was never treated medically. His parents abandoned him some time after his first diagnosis and from that moment he dedicated himself to begging in the streets. Occasionally he was delinquent, stealing food and small things, but nobody believed that he could be dangerous. Even many saw him only as ‘a loose crazy’.

During the heyday of the film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ Fernández’s life would take a 180-degree turn. The famous 1931 film reached theaters around the world, including, of course, those of Monteros. Although Florencio did not know how to read, he did really like the world of cinema and entertainment, which is why, with the few coins he had, he bought a ticket at the local theater.

(Keep reading: Jeffrey Dahmer’s truths revealed by his dad and why he lives ‘hidden’).

A ticket that not only guaranteed him entry to the show, but was also his pass to the start of his biggest fans.

‘The Vampire of Monteros’

According to the local newspaper ‘La Nación’, the psychiatrists who treated Fernández concluded that after seeing the film, he had mimicked the character, acquiring behaviors similar to those of a vampire.

He had photophobia, that is, he felt discomfort in light, which is why he lived in a cave and only went out at night. Furthermore, it was also recorded that she had strong sexual desires for blood.

His first crime occurred precisely on a hot night in 1953. According to the chronicles of that time, Florencio sneaked into the room of a young woman with whom he had been obsessed for some time. He entered through one of the windows that was open and before killing her, he beat her with a hammer until she was unconscious. He then proceeded to bite her neck until it ripped, thus causing her death.

This was his modus operandi for six more years, in which he committed a total of 15 murders.. The perpetrator took advantage of the fact that at the time, in times of intense heat, it was very common to leave the windows open all day and night.

(Also: Irene Garza: the brutal crime against a beauty queen who only went to confess).

The police were surprised that the scene was always the same: a dead young woman with a torn neck and a hammer next to her head. Occasionally broken broomsticks or other objects were found as a sign of a struggle. But unfortunately none had managed to escape from ‘The Vampire in the window’.

Even the authorities came to believe that, just like in the Tod Browning movie, he also collected the blood of his victims and drank it. All this mixture of elements, in fact, made the community believe that there was a real vampire hanging around the area.

The first inquiries made by the local police did not yield results. After weeks of research, they always came to the same dead ends. That was when they called the Federal Police to collaborate with the case.Days later, on February 14, 1960, the murderer who was blamed for the death of 15 women in Tucumán, was arrested in a cave near the city.

Myth or Reality?

According to the chronicles of the time, Fernández fell at the age of 25, one night when he was supposedly planning the murder of his next victim. However, this has never been fully corroborated, as well as the fact that he really was a serial killer.

(We recommend: The ‘challenge’ for doing the perfect crime that landed two wealthy men in jail).

It is presumed that when he was captured, he did not seem really scared. On the contrary, he was almost relieved. Several media and chronicles have said that the judicial authorities requested psychiatric and physical examinations for the perpetrator. In this way they diagnosed his schizophrenia, in addition to understanding the deplorable conditions in which he lived.

Despite being accused of murder, he was declared incompetent and it was decided to commit him to a psychiatric hospital in San Miguel de Tucumán, where he died in 1968. But, when was the trial? Who was in charge of the case?

The truth is that it is not known.

Little facts like these are what also make the public question whether the story was real or not. ‘La Gaceta’ from Argentina, for example, made an analysis of this. According to what they publish, there are several testimonies from the locals who affirm that it is only an urban legend.

Juan Carlos García, a 50-year-old native of the region, told that medium that: “Look, here we all know each other and there has never been a murderer who has killed 15 women. If that had happened, in the 50’s, today we would have about 200 fewer inhabitants”.

Another version indicates that Fernández was really a bricklayer who liked to box, that he did have problems with the law, because he went into the women’s house and made indecent proposals to them. But that he never got to kill someone.

Even the historian of Monteros, Arturo Zelaya, said that he did not have any mental health problems, in fact, he was a very hard-working bricklayer and that he was not a criminal.

Even so, the legend has spread to the depths of the internet, generating great controversies as to whether it is true or not.

More news

The terrible story of the man who became a myth and a nightmare because of his face

‘Strangler of grandmothers’, locksmith who cheated on women: ‘I don’t know how many I killed’

This is what Larissa Riquelme looks like, ‘the girlfriend of the World Cup in South Africa’, 12 years later

The beauty queen killed by her husband who wanted to marry her lover

Trends WEATHER