The Civil Guard arrested a man last Saturday, with initials A.B., as the alleged perpetrator of a continuous crime of robbery with force inside vehicles. The detainee, of foreign nationality but with a residence permit and residing in Arrecife, was caught 'red-handed' when he had just stolen two backpacks from a car in the Volcanes de Tinajo parking lot. The Civil Guard considers him responsible for the "considerable increase" in thefts committed in rental vehicles in tourist places that agents perceived in the months of January and February. He would have committed up to 16 robberies with force. The arrested person was released with charges.
On those dates, the Civil Guard became aware of this increase in thefts committed in vehicles. They explain that it was "preferably" cars under a rental regime, parked in certain places of tourist interest, such as the parking lot, where the detainee allegedly stole objects from inside "taking advantage of the fact that tourists were going to do some of the numerous hiking trails in the area".
"The now detained, knew in advance that these tourists were approaching the aforementioned place in rental vehicles, leaving them in the parking enabled for this purpose and then taking a hiking route through the area, having a large margin of time to commit the robbery inside vehicles, since these routes take between one and two hours", explains the Benemérita.
A discreet operation to stop him
Thus, his 'modus operandi' consisted of approaching the parking lot, and once there and "making sure that there was no one around". Then, he broke one of the windows of the vehicle door with some blunt object to open it and take "all the valuables he found inside", the police force relates.
The Civil Guard explains that, after the "large number" of robberies inside vehicles in the area, its agents from the San Bartolomé post set up a "discreet operation to arrest the alleged perpetrator of these robberies, due to the great social alarm that was causing among tourists".
Thus, last Saturday, March 5, when the arrest occurred, the now detained was caught red-handed, "just having stolen two backpacks with effects from one of the cars parked there." The value of the objects he had stolen amounted to about 1,000 euros. The Civil Guard recovered everything stolen, and the tourists, the Benemérita itself points out, were grateful for its "efficiency".
The police proceedings were sent to the Court and the detainee was also placed at its disposal. In this sense, the Civil Guard points out that the Court was already aware of the case. The arrested person was released with charges. In this sense, the police force emphasizes in its statement that those who "plan to take a hiking route should not leave any valuables inside the vehicle".
