The Local Police arrested a man yesterday (Wednesday) after he broke into an apartment in the Cristian Sur complex in Los Cristianos, in the south of Tenerife, to burgle it. The arrest was made possible thanks to the assistance of vigilant neighbours.
The incident occurred shortly after 2:00am when several residents were awoken by suspicious noises coming from a nearby apartment. Two neighbours caught the suspect in the act of stealing belongings from the property. Although they briefly detained him on the street, the thief managed to get away before the police arrived.
The police were alerted to the situation via several calls, with neighbours reporting that they had confronted the suspect on Calle Berna before he escaped, taking several stolen items with him.
In response, the Arona Police launched an immediate search operation, dispatching patrol vehicles and an investigative team. Two British men, who were victims of the burglary, reported that the thief had fled over the balcony carrying a bag of stolen items.
The younger of the victims and his father pursued the thief for nearly two kilometres, managing to recover their belongings, though the suspect escaped just before police arrived.
With a description of the suspect's appearance and clothing, police initiated a search with six officers. Minutes later, two officers patrolling near Avenida Ámsterdam spotted a man matching the description, dressed entirely in black, hiding in a recess of the Multicentro Shopping Center.
The officers surprised the suspect, who quickly confessed to the crime. He admitted to accessing the balcony of the first-floor apartment by using barrels to stand on from a nearby restaurant, "GrastrObelix."
The man was arrested on multiple charges, including burglary, robbery with violence, and assault. According to the Policía Local de Canarias Blog, the suspect has an extensive criminal record with over 80 related offences.
