Rome, “Tunnel Vision” Effect Betrays Burglars. 2 Arrests by State Police

The subjects were wandering around the area with a plan planned down to the last detail, which was however foiled by the State Police. They were so intent on carrying out the robberies that they did not realize they were being followed by the agents of the Flying Squad.

Those arrested on charges of attempted aggravated theft in competition were a forty-one-year-old Georgian and a forty-nine-year-old Lithuanian, both unemployed, homeless and burdened by numerous previous convictions for specific crimes.

It was around 10.30 when the pair of thieves targeted by the police tried to break into an apartment in via Tullio Levi Civita for the first time: while one of the two acted as a lookout outside the building and remained in telephone contact with his accomplice, the other had entered the building but then left immediately afterwards. In fact, the first attempt had been “disturbed” by the presence of the doorman, who had dissuaded the man from his intent.

The police officers, without losing sight of them, followed their every move, finding the same modus operandi of a “progressive formation attempt” that the couple then tried to bring to a successful conclusion, reappearing, about two hours later, at the same condominium, as soon as their guard shift had ended. Repeating the same pattern, the two accomplices immediately separated, but the officers – who had also split up – did not hesitate for a moment and intercepted them red-handed. Subjected to a personal search, they were found in possession of burglary tools.

The methods of action and the numerous phone calls exchanged between the two accomplices during the 'site inspections', as emerged from the subsequent computer search, allowed the police to arrest them on charges of attempted burglary in collaboration. Also fundamental to the reconstruction of the facts is the testimony of the targeted victim, alerted by the noises caused by the forced lock of her apartment, immediately before the intervention of the State Police.

The Immigration Office of the Police Headquarters will begin the investigation for the revocation of the residence permit held by the two arrested.

The arrests were validated by the judicial authority, which will coordinate the further developments of the criminal proceedings, while always respecting the presumption of innocence according to which the suspects are to be considered presumed innocent until a definitive determination of guilt with an irrevocable sentence.

The Rome Police Headquarters, committed to preventing the phenomenon of apartment burglaries, relaunches advice to reduce risks and 'team up' with the Police Forces by reporting any suspicions.