Police arrest suspect in four Krems and Vienna robberies

Police have arrested a 38-year-old man suspected of carrying out four armed robberies in Krems and Vienna, ORF reported. He allegedly threatened employees with a weapon and stole cash before trying unsuccessfully to escape by jumping from a ground-floor window.

The robbery series began on July 28 at a tobacco shop in Krems, where a female owner was threatened and the robber fled with a three-figure sum. The suspect then allegedly robbed drugstores in Vienna’s Simmering and Landstrasse districts on July 30 and August 3, followed by a supermarket in Krems on August 10.

In each case, he allegedly first posed as a customer before pulling out a weapon at the checkout and demanding money. He reportedly escaped by bicycle with three-figure sums in Vienna and fled on an electric scooter in Krems with a mid-four-figure sum. None of those threatened was injured, although some suffered shock.

Investigators from the Lower Austria State Criminal Police Office linked the cases through surveillance footage and the alleged method of operation. Their investigation led to the suspect, a 38-year-old from Krems with previous convictions, who was arrested on August 17.

When he was detained in Krems, the man had to be taken to hospital because of physical impairments. He then attempted to escape by jumping from a ground-floor window, but failed. He was taken to Krems Prison.

The Austrian national did not confess. Police said a voluntary search of his home found parts of clothing allegedly worn during the crimes, an electric scooter and several blank-firing pistols.