70-year-old arrested after knife threat during sunglasses purchase

A 70-year-old man was arrested after allegedly trying to pay five euros for three sunglasses worth about 500 euros and threatening staff with a knife at an optician in Vienna’s Neubau district, ORF reported.

The man had asked an employee to show him three high-end sunglasses at the shop on Mariahilfer Straße. As she placed them in cases, he suddenly produced a folding knife. Police spokeswoman Anna Gutt said he did not threaten the employee with it and merely discussed the knife, but she nevertheless felt uncomfortable and called a colleague.

When the colleague tried to collect the payment, the man slammed a five-euro note onto the counter and said: “That should be enough!” He then tried to leave with the sunglasses.

The employee held him back, prompting the man to threaten to take out the knife again. He temporarily managed to escape, but police caught him just a few metres from the shop and arrested him on suspicion of robbery-related theft.

Police also found about 40 grams of cannabis resin on him. He was apparently under the influence of drugs.

The German national, who has no registered residence in Austria, was transferred to a correctional facility on the orders of the Vienna public prosecutor’s office.