The body of a missing boy has been found in the boot of a car being driven by his father’s girlfriend.

8-year-old Gabriel Cruz’s disappearance in the southern province of Almeria in late February captured the nation’s attention.

After a missing person’s alert went viral, a search involving over 4,000 police and volunteers was launched.

Police have arrested the father’s partner, whom they had pulled over.

Gabriel was last seen on 27^th February when he left his grandmother’s house in the village of Las Hort-Ichuelas in the municipality of Níjar.

He was supposed to go over to a neighbour’s for a play date, but he never returned.

On March 3^rd, the boy’s father Angel Cruz and his now arrested partner, Ana Julia Quezada, found a t-shirt with his DNA 6 miles from Nijar.

Spanish media report that the police have been monitoring Ms. Quezada since then.

At a rally attended by thousands of supporters last Friday, Gabriel’s mother and father said they had “more hope than ever” of finding their son.