Vienna police arrest three people in two burglary cases

Vienna police arrested two women carrying concealed burglary tools and a man suspected of breaking into an apartment building, ORF reported. The incidents occurred in separate parts of the Austrian capital on Friday.

Officers from the Street Crime Task Force noticed the two women repeatedly checking their surroundings, trying to conceal that they were together and entering several older apartment buildings in the Wieden, Innere Stadt and Landstraße districts.

The women were later stopped while attempting to leave for Slovakia on a coach. Police found burglary tools hidden in one woman’s waistband and the other’s bra. Fresh signs of a break-in were also found in a stairwell in Wieden where the women had previously been observed. Police said the marks were consistent with the seized tools.

Both women were arrested. They were carrying no identification documents and apparently gave incorrect dates of birth while claiming to be minors. A medical officer was called in to determine their ages. The investigation is continuing.

In a separate incident early on Friday in the Favoriten district, police arrested a 46-year-old man suspected of breaking into an apartment building. Two officers were injured during the arrest.

A resident of an apartment building on Favoritenstraße called police after hearing suspicious noises from the stairwell. Officers found a man in the courtyard holding a crowbar. Despite being addressed repeatedly, he ran towards the officers, pushed one of them aside and fled towards Favoritenstraße.

Police stopped him shortly afterwards. He resisted heavily, striking and kicking during the arrest and injuring two officers, who were unable to continue their duties. Police ultimately arrested him using physical force.

Investigators determined that the Serbian man had previously broken into an apartment and stolen several jewellery boxes. The stolen property was recovered. Two parked vehicles were damaged during the struggle, and the investigation into the exact circumstances is continuing.