Jewelry thief with daughter in tow: arrested after chase by store cashier and police

The State Police arrested a 43-year-old woman from Enna, believed to be responsible for a theft committed in recent days at a jewelry store in downtown Catania.

The woman had entered the store with her 7-year-old daughter, likely to avoid raising suspicion.

According to the reconstruction, after lingering among the displays and asking the sales staff casual questions, the 43-year-old allegedly swiftly grabbed several gold bracelets, worth a total of about 1,500 euros, and then quickly left.

The cashier, noticing what had happened, chased her along via Etnea until piazza Stesicoro, where she caught up with her and asked her to return the stolen items.

The woman, in response, allegedly grabbed her by the neck in an attempt to snatch the gold necklace, but was unsuccessful, and then quickly got into a car parked in the square and disappeared into the streets of the historic center.

Immediately, the staff of the jewelry store alerted the operations room of the Police Headquarters. A patrol intervened to assist the victim and gather useful information for identifying the perpetrator of the crime.

Thanks to the descriptions provided, the officers of the Flying Squad of the General Prevention and Public Rescue Office intercepted the car on via Gambino, with the 43-year-old and the child in the passenger seat.

The woman, who had meanwhile already disposed of the stolen goods, was recognized by the cashier. Investigators also obtained and reviewed surveillance footage showing her in action, which allowed them to proceed with the arrest in the act for improper robbery, while maintaining the presumption of innocence for the accused, valid until a final judgment.

Informed was the on-duty public prosecutor at the Catania Court, the 43-year-old was taken to prison, awaiting the validation hearing before the investigating judge. The daughter, given the seriousness of the incident, was temporarily entrusted to her aunt.