Genoa: Off-duty officer stops serial thief in the city center.

La State Police of Genoa arrested a 33 year old Algerian for Theft aggravated and reported him for stolen.

Yesterday morning a officer of the Imperia Police Headquarters, off duty, was walking along Via XX Settembre and noticed the man who, inside a shop, was approaching the customers in a suspicious manner.

He never lost sight of him and, shortly after, he caught him while he was putting his hand in the bag of an elderly man, who was accompanied by his wife, to steal his phone.

The officer immediately approached the couple to make sure the cell phone was actually missing, keeping the man in sight at all times.

As soon as the elderly man confirmed the theft, the operator, after identifying himself, stopped and questioned the 33enne, who immediately tried to hide something in a nearby flowerbed, denying that he was responsible.

The officer then placed a call to the elderly man's cell phone, which rang after a few seconds and was found right in the flowerbed where the man had previously approached.

The operator therefore requested support from the Operations Room which promptly sent a patrol carUPGSP to arrest the subject and take him to the police station.

The man was found to be in possession of a second cell phone stolen, in addition to having already been reported, the previous day, for Theft aggravated, as he was found in possession of a bag and wallet stolen from a car parked in Via Gramsci.