Two suspected thieves have been arrested after a bizarre crime spree in which stolen cars were used to carry out break-ins across Alicante and Murcia — before being abandoned with their tyres slashed.
The arrests were made by the Guardia Civil as part of Operation Leoniza, with support from the Policía Nacional and Local Police in Orihuela and Albatera. Investigators say the two men carried out a string of offences between February 8 and 14.
The crime wave began in the town of San Isidro, where a car was stolen. The vehicle later turned up when officers from Pinoso foiled a break-in at a rural property in La Algueña. Two suspects fled on foot through nearby trees, leaving the stolen car behind.
But the same night the duo allegedly stole two more vehicles in La Algueña, which were later recovered in Hondón de los Frailes — where yet another car was taken.
Police soon noticed a strange pattern. Every recovered vehicle had forced doors, tampered ignition locks and the sound system ripped out of place — though not actually stolen. Most bizarre of all, all four tyres on each car had been deliberately slashed.
On February 11, one of the stolen vehicles was used in a break-in at a petrol station in Archena, where the suspects smashed their way inside and made off with a tobacco vending machine.
The spree finally came to an end in the early hours of February 14 when the same car was used in an attempted robbery at a service station in Orihuela. Local police rushed to the scene after an alarm was triggered, forcing the suspects to flee on foot. One man was caught after a short chase.
The second suspect was later identified and arrested by Albatera Local Police on February 22.
Both men are accused of four counts of vehicle theft or unlawful use of a motor vehicle and three counts of burglary. They have been released pending trial.
All the stolen vehicles were returned to their owners — except one, which was later found burned out. Police say further arrests are possible as the investigation continues.
