Mobile phones are one of the most used objects today. They are used to call, take personal photos or even record the steps taken after a day. Their frequent use makes users neglect to keep them safe, especially when they walk down the street or are on a terrace having a drink or even at work.
These devices are the objects that are stolen the most on the streets of Cartagena today, both carelessly or by pulling. This is reflected by police sources from the city police station, who point out that in recent months there has been a “slight increase” in thefts, already being a “too common” crime in Cartagena.
The agents themselves explain that the thieves have a very similar profile, which makes their identification difficult. They are guys in their twenties with a thin complexion. They dress in sweatpants, sneakers and a hoodie, or wear a cap to hide their identity. In reality, the police officers acknowledge that they are describing a profile that matches that of hundreds of young people. They all dress the same.
Thefts occur carelessly, at any point in the urban core, both in neighborhoods and in areas closer to the center. They mainly happen at dusk. Criminals focus on adult victims, whom they see as having a difficult time running after them. They usually take advantage while they are talking during a call or writing a message to pounce from behind and grab the terminal, without using violence. They run away without giving time to react, or for the victim to be able to see their faces.
LA VERDAD has had access to the images of a robbery of this type that occurred at the end of 2022 in an Ensanche street. In them you can see how the woman whose mobile is stolen while she talks about her remains practically immobile, being surprised by a young man who flees hidden with the hood of her sweatshirt.
More than a year in prison for removing a phone in a park
A young man in his twenties has been sentenced to one year and three months in prison for stealing a mobile phone from a girl who was waiting for the bus in the surroundings of Parque de la Rosa, in Ciudad Jardín. He will go to prison if he commits a new crime in the next three years. The penalty has been imposed by conformity, without a trial being held. The events occurred a few weeks ago and the boy was discovered thanks to the fact that a witness who was driving a car followed his steps and notified the Police. Upon being discovered by the agents, the boy began to run, leaving his cell phone on the ground. Finally, they managed to arrest him in the streets above Parque de la Rosa and recovered the terminal.
The most basic model of the latest iPhone costs a thousand euros, something that makes it a coveted object. Although terminals like this one or other high-end ones have lock systems or passwords, the reality is that someone with technological skills can find on the Internet how to disable these security mechanisms. However, the police recommend activating the geolocation of the phone, saving the IMEI number, avoiding talking on the street or writing, not keeping money in the case, or carrying the mobile in the back pocket of your pants. Regarding the latter, they emphasize that it is very easy to take it because the terminals protrude from the pocket due to its large size. They conclude that few recover.
Assault in a bar in San Antón
On the other hand, two weekends ago there was an early-morning assault on the El Paso de los Elefantes bar, in San Antón. The hooded men broke the glass door and took the box with the change. At least one suspect was arrested although his responsibility could not be proven by going with his face covered.
Night crowds are a mine for thieves
In addition to mobile phone thefts that occur on any street in Cartagena, the nightlife areas of the historic center are regularly a mine for thieves. Waiters and porters of cocktail bars denounce that the theft of mobile phones has increased in recent months, happening practically every week. Police sources pointed out in this regard that there are weekends that several complaints are registered and others in which they do not occur.
These night workers also revealed that there are fights between young people, in which some carry small knives or screwdrivers.
The liveliest streets are Cuatro Santos, Aire, Cañón and the streets near the Town Hall. The nights that the clientele goes out to party in Cartagena are those of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, crowds of young people concentrating on these streets in the open air. Locals see a need for more police presence to deter thugs. They match the description given by the police about the mobile thieves: 20-somethings with a slim complexion who wear sportswear and hide their faces with a cap or the hood of a sweatshirt.
Dressed in berets and high boots, the new special group of the Local Police seized last weekend 5,700 euros and 8 grams of cocaine in the vicinity of a store on Calle del Aire. Agents arrested one person. The group has issued more than 30 fines in just over two weeks of operation.
These night workers also revealed that there are fights between young people, in which some carry small knives or screwdrivers.
The liveliest streets are Cuatro Santos, Aire, Cañón and the streets near the Town Hall. The nights that the clientele goes out to party in Cartagena are those of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, crowds of young people concentrating on these streets in the open air. Locals see a need for more police presence to deter thugs. They match the description given by the police about the mobile thieves: 20-somethings with a slim complexion who wear sportswear and hide their faces with a cap or the hood of a sweatshirt.
Dressed in berets and high boots, the new special group of the Local Police seized last weekend 5,700 euros and 8 grams of cocaine in the vicinity of a store on Calle del Aire. Agents arrested one person. The group has issued more than 30 fines in just over two weeks of operation.
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