Three witnesses help police arrest suspected serial thief

Three witnesses helped police arrest a suspected serial thief after he broke into a car in Seiersberg-Pirka, in the Graz-Umgebung district, ORF reported. Police said the suspect had targeted potential victims at trade fairs.

The break-in happened on Sunday evening on Feldkirchner Strasse. A 58-year-old man from Graz saw the suspect smash the rear window of a parked car outside a pizzeria and steal a backpack and a bag. A 20-year-old man and his 21-year-old girlfriend watched from inside the restaurant.

The 58-year-old called out to alert others and pursued the suspect on foot. The younger man tried to block his path with a car, while his girlfriend called emergency services. When the suspect moved to attack with a screwdriver, the couple kept their distance. The 58-year-old seized an opportunity to recover the stolen items and bring the suspect to the ground, holding him until police arrived.

The 28-year-old Italian suspect was arrested. Police said the recovered goods included valuable minerals and jewellery worth several thousand euros. The victim is a 56-year-old German man.

Investigators believe the suspect and three other people had visited trade fairs in Austria to identify potential victims. The group attended the Graz Mineral Fair south of Graz three days earlier and apparently selected the 56-year-old there.

The suspect denied the allegations during questioning. The other three suspects, a 52-year-old Croatian man and two Bosnian women aged 47 and 50, fled in a car with Italian plates. Police have identified them and are searching for them. All four are known in Italy for previous property offences. The arrested man was taken to Graz-Jakomini prison on the order of the Graz prosecutor’s office.