The Carabinieri’s commitment to the fight against widespread illegality which, in its various forms, undermines the real and perceived safety of citizens continues unabated. Among these, in particular, predatory crime which, regardless of the extent of the economic damage, often represents a trauma not only for the victims, but also for the community, which finds itself feeling greater vulnerability to this type of event.
The return horse
Precisely as part of this daily and constant law enforcement activity, the Carabinieri of the Biancavilla station managed to find and return to the owner her new Fiat 500 L, which had been stolen from her in Catania two days earlier, arresting at the same time for “extortion and resisting a public official” a 53 year old from Catania, with a criminal conviction.
The investigative activity that led to the arrest arose from the theft report of a 40-year-old from Biancavilla, who told the Carabinieri that she had no longer found her car after parking it in the evening near a bar on the seafront Catania and went to dinner with friends.
The alarm
In particular, the woman, overcome by discouragement, had shared the sad experience with some of her contacts in the address book as soon as she noticed the theft, receiving in response from an old acquaintance in Catania the advice to go to a well-known populous neighborhood of the city. to try to find it and recover it, perhaps asking around. She, obviously, surprised by that strange advice, had not followed it up, correctly deciding to contact the Carabinieri.
The following day, however, the man of the “strange advice” had contacted her again, insisting that she join him in Catania where, according to him, thanks to his “acquaintances”, he had managed to find the vehicle and, after paying 700 euros, the thieves would have made them “find it”.
The story to the police
At that point, the 40-year-old’s choice to report everything to the military personnel was commendable, who in less than an hour organized a device in the field to accompany her to Catania, follow her from a distance and catch the “return horse” in the act. .
Organized, therefore, into two teams, one on board an “unmarked” car and one together with the victim, the soldiers then listened to the instructions that the man gradually provided to the woman by telephone, as in the most typical scene of a film action, first making them reach a kiosk in the Montepo district, and immediately afterwards – having made sure that the victim was alone – the Gioeni roundabout. Here the Carabinieri finally spotted a small car, with the 53 year old on board, which was approaching. The latter, unaware that he was being followed and that the woman’s companion, presented as a cousin, was a soldier of the Carabinieri, then got into their car, showing them the way to the southern outskirts of the city, where, having reached the near a petrol station in the Librino district, they found the stolen Fiat 500 L parked. At that point, the owner, pretending to be grateful, immediately entered her vehicle, while the 53-year-old, still unaware of the trap, asked to be taken back to the Gioeni circle to get his car back.
The intervention of the military
At that moment, during the journey, the man, convinced that he was in the company of the woman’s cousin, explained that without his intervention the vehicle would never have been found: “He loves to eat everyone…you understand me, you know how this environment works, if it doesn’t put me in a lie, this machine is missing in truvauvu”.
When finally, upon arriving on site, the time came for the delivery of the money, the agreed upon 700 euros, the Carabinieri team that was on standby went into action, blocking the extortionist who, between anger and surprise, attempted to escape, also attacking the soldiers. The man was clearly immediately made safe, arrested and, at the disposal of the Judicial Authority, which validated his arrest, subjected to house arrest.
The Biancavilla town, heartily thanking the Carabinieri for their work, was thus able to “legally” get its small car back, without giving in to the so-called “return horse”, a widespread criminal practice which, however, can be defeated by turning to the police. ‘Order.
