Burglar Arrested in Moratalaz After Forgetting Phone at Jewelry Store

The National Police thwarts a forced entry robbery at a jewelry store in Moratalaz, where the assailant was caught red-handed and left his mobile phone behind.

Generic image of police emergency lights at night.
IA

Generic image of police emergency lights at night.

A man with a criminal record was arrested by the National Police in the Moratalaz district of Madrid, while attempting a forced entry robbery at a jewelry store through a hole in the wall, after having forgotten his mobile phone inside the establishment.

The incident occurred last Friday night at a jewelry store located on Pico de Artilleros Street. Officers responded to the scene after receiving an alert from the security alarm center and a call from a neighbor reporting loud banging noises in the building.
The suspect had gained access to a building adjacent to the jewelry store and, using a master key, entered the meter room. From there, he made a hole in the wall to attempt to access the interior of the establishment. The jewelry store's security cameras captured the individual's hand through the opening.
When officers arrived, the man exited the meter room, attempting to pretend he was performing installation work. However, among his tools were a wrench, a crowbar, and a flashlight, all commonly used for this type of robbery.
Police confirmed that a small hole had already been made in the wall connecting to the jewelry store, and inside, they located the suspect's mobile phone. Ultimately, the individual, a Spanish national born in 1978 with similar prior offenses, was arrested for a crime of forced entry robbery.
Although he did not manage to steal any items, police sources suggest that the man may have placed his mobile phone inside the jewelry store before attempting to enter himself, but was intercepted by the Police before completing the theft.