The alleged perpetrator of a strong-arm robbery at a cafe on Colón Street has been arrested again by the La Vila Joiosa Local Police. This individual, known to law enforcement, had already been apprehended weeks prior for attempting to rob a pastry shop and for other robberies in establishments within the municipality.
The arrest took place during the early hours of Wednesday. The arrested man is the same individual that the Civil Guard detained on April 27 for an attempted robbery at a local pastry shop and for his alleged involvement in other robberies in Vila Joiosa businesses.
The alert came in the early morning, when several citizens reported a robbery in progress at the establishment and that the suspect had fled the area on foot. Upon arrival, officers found significant damage to the premises, including the shattered entrance window, allegedly broken with a sledgehammer found inside the business. Additionally, the cash register was displaced, and coins were scattered on the floor, evidence pointing to a strong-arm robbery committed minutes earlier.
Citizen collaboration proved decisive for the investigation. Witnesses provided the Local Police with a detailed description of the suspect's clothing and physical characteristics, which allowed for a search operation to be deployed through the streets of the urban center.
Officers conducted patrols both on foot and in police vehicles on several streets near Colón Street. During the operation, they stopped a vehicle in which a man was traveling as a passenger who fully matched the description provided by residents. According to police sources, a bag of coins was found inside the car, which the driver claimed not to recognize and which, allegedly, the occupant had just dropped when intercepted by the officers.
Following his identification, the Local Police proceeded to arrest the suspect, a 45-year-old man with numerous police records related to crimes against property, especially strong-arm robberies, thefts, scams, and crimes involving violence and intimidation. The detainee was subsequently placed at the disposal of the Civil Guard, which has taken charge of the investigation. Just two weeks prior, he had been arrested as part of “Operation Frola” as the alleged perpetrator of an attempted robbery with intimidation at a pastry shop on April 19, in addition to other robberies in local establishments. On that occasion, he was released with precautionary measures after appearing before the court.
