The National Police has arrested a man accused of committing at least 15 robberies in hotels in Madrid, Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca, in addition to a crime of false documentation. The suspect used a very specific method: he pretended to be a guest and convinced employees that the room key did not work or that he had blocked the password to the safe, thus gaining access to both the room and the inside of the safety deposit boxes.
The arrested man was last arrested last October 10, after committing a robbery in a hotel in Madrid’s Chamartín district. Two days earlier he had already been intercepted for another robbery committed in the Chamberí district, where he was also linked to a robbery that occurred last May. In addition to this criminal activity, there are eight robberies in Ibiza, four in Palma de Mallorca and a judicial complaint in Bilbao for robbery with violence.
Located in Arganzuela hours after the Chamberí robbery
The events that led to his arrest in Madrid on October 8 began with a complaint from a guest who reported the theft of his belongings from a hotel in Chamberí. Rapid police action led to an operation that culminated just five hours later, when the alleged perpetrator was located in the district of Arganzuela. The stolen items and the victim’s documents were found among his belongings. He was arrested for the crime of robbery with force and a judge ordered his immediate imprisonment.
Two robberies in the same Chamartín hotel
The police investigation had begun months earlier, in May, when a tourist reported that someone had forced the door of his room in a hotel in Chamartín. The thief took cash, personal effects and credit cards. In August a second robbery took place in the same hotel, with a similar modus operandi. On this occasion, in addition, fraudulent charges were made with the stolen cards to the value of almost 1,000 euros. The investigations concluded in October with the identification and arrest of the alleged perpetrator.
Eight robberies in Ibiza in only two days
Once arrested, the agents found that the same man was being investigated for committing eight robberies in six hotels in Ibiza, committed between August 17 and 19. In just 48 hours he managed to seize cash and luxury items valued at more than 38,000 euros. To move quickly between the different establishments, he used a rented motorcycle.
Four more hotel robberies in Palma
Police also attributed four additional robberies in Palma de Mallorca, perpetrated between August 26 and 29. In these cases, the suspect pretended to be a client, even providing his
Admission to pre-trial detention
In total, the detainee is charged with 15 robberies with force, in addition to a crime of false documentation and the pending judicial claim in Bilbao. After being brought before the court, he was remanded in custody.
