A 29-year-old man was caught by an off-duty Guardia Civil member after he allegedly tried to rob a Santa Pola homeowner using the “mugger method.”
The Guardia Civil said that the events happened on 22nd October, when a Guardia Civil officer saw something unusual happening between two individuals on a street in broad daylight and proceeded to check it out, thinking it might be a fraud or robbery.
The officer saw two more people at the scene who looked like they were working with the suspected criminal as he got closer. These two men tried to stop him from helping, but when he said he was an officer, all three tried to run away. The officer was able to retain the suspect in the heist at the spot, though, and arrested him while asking other patrol units for help in finding the other two.
The victim, who was clearly scared, informed the police that three people came up to him while he was riding his bike through town and tried to confuse him by offering to help him with a flat tyre. He also said that they carefully looked through his things, including a costly wristwatch, while trying to keep him from paying attention.
The man who was arrested has a criminal record and is accused of trying to steal. An investigation is going on to find the other two.
“The chokehold method”
The “mugger method” of theft involves diverting the victim by asking them questions or offering aid they didn’t ask for, and then stealing from them while they’re confused and don’t have time to react.
They usually pick victims who are weak, like old people or people who are alone, foreigners who don’t speak the language, or tourists who are in a city they don’t know and whose circumstances may make it hard for them to ask for help right away, which makes it easier for them to get away before the victim can ask for help.
If the victim sees or fights back, they usually don’t hesitate to use force to steal from them.
Author: Derek Appleton
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