A 41-year-old man was arrested in Alicante for stealing parts from a vehicle right after leaving court for a similar offense. The thief left his jacket with personal documents in the assaulted car, aiding his quick identification. Hours later, he was caught in the act after damaging three more vehicles.
A 41-year-old man with numerous prior records for thefts with the National Police in Alicante was arrested early this week for an alleged robbery. After spending a night in the station's cells, he appeared before the judge, who granted him freedom with charges. Upon leaving the courthouse, the offender selected a nearby vehicle and stole its battery and a fuel tank cap.
In his haste to escape, he left inside the car a jacket containing a police-stamped bag with his shoelaces—removed as a preventive measure against self-harm—and his liberty order bearing his name. This oversight proved crucial to his later arrest.
Officers patrolling the northern area, a marginal neighborhood on Alicante's outskirts, spotted him acting suspiciously near a car. When asked for ID, which he didn't have, locals reported he had just smashed their vehicle windows. One detailed the morning theft, matching the found jacket. Another saw the suspect tampering with a third car's window, from which he fled upon notice.
Police confirmed his record, mainly for vehicle break-ins and, recently, theft of machinery and tools from nearby construction sites. Following the arrest, a woman reported her car's assault, verifying the loot and forgotten documents. The case, first reported by EFE agency, highlights the irony of a repeat offender caught by his own carelessness.
