A thief who posed as a “good guy”, helping tourists, then went on to rob them in Javea and Benitachell.
The investigation, which has been carried out by the Civil Guard of Javea, began after detecting a significant increase in thefts from the interior of vehicles, (through glass fractures), parked in parking lots on several beaches, coves and viewpoints, in Javea and Benitachell.
Agents found that for long periods of time, this man wandered around in his car in local areas and parking lots frequented by visitors, without actually parking. Once he set his goal, he waited for the occupants to abandon their vehicles and later, he would break the glass of the car windows and flee with all the valuables that were inside.
Sometimes, the thief himself advised tourists to visit the most remote areas of the towns, and would accompany them if necessary. As soon as they parked and disappeared from his sight, he could rob them at leisure!
He stole bank cards, and later used them to withdraw as much money as possible or pay with them in nearby businesses, before the rightful owners blocked their accounts.
He stole other objects such as laptops, cell phones, cameras, and cash. The value of the stolen personal effects, added to swindled amounts of the bank cards, amount to more than 15,000 euros.
At one point, investigators discovered that the same person had stolen a large amount of copper wiring from several homes under construction. In his statement, the complainant told the agents that, in just two weeks, the copper from several buildings had been stolen up to four times.
Once the agents had fully identified and located the suspect, they arrested this 45-year-old Spanish male with a long criminal record, resident in Benitachell.
He is charged with 21 crimes against property: sixteen crimes of robbery inside a vehicle, one of robbery with forced entry, another of theft of copper wiring and two for fraudulent use of bank cards.
If you have been a victim of robbery, you can enquire and find out if your property is now in the hands of the Guardia Civil via a link on the following article…
Story and photo cover via La Marina Plaza.
