Two arrested for robbery at Madrid Sur jeweller later targeted in armed raid
National Police arrested two repeat offenders for robbing the Carretero jewellery shop in the Madrid Sur shopping centre, the same store that was violently raided weeks later by another armed gang.
Two robberies, two gangs and one jewellery shop in Vallecas
The National Police have arrested two men with criminal records for robbing the Carretero jewellery shop in the Madrid Sur shopping centre, on Avenida de Pablo Neruda, 91, in Puente de Vallecas, according to ABC citing sources in the case. It is the same establishment that on 18 May was violently raided by another gang, whose members were carrying pistols. The sources consulted emphasise that both robberies are not linked in terms of authorship, despite occurring in the same shop and within a short timeframe.
The arrested men are a naturalised Spanish citizen of Cuban origin aged 44 and a Spanish national aged 38. Both have previous arrests for crimes against property. The operation was carried out by officers from the Judicial Police unit at the local district station, as ABC reported in detail.
The same method, two jewellery shops
The investigations began following an incident recorded on 9 February at the Artigues jewellery shop, on Avenida de la Albufera, 119. That day, one of the suspects entered the shop feigning interest in gold seals. When an employee took out the display case, his accomplice rang the bell as if he were just another customer. At that moment, the first man took the opportunity to snatch the gold blanks and both fled.
The workers attempted to chase them and observed how one of them entered the Portazgo metro station, only to emerge immediately from the exit on the opposite pavement, where another individual was waiting for them in a car. The vehicle sped off. The stolen material was valued at over 16,000 euros.
The investigators requested security camera footage from the jewellery shop and from Madrid Metro. After reviewing the recordings and conducting further investigations, they located the two suspects and arrested them in just four days, on 13 February. However, after appearing before a judge, the judge ordered their release pending charges.
Reoffending before closing time
On 16 April, at ten to ten in the evening, just before closing, the same two men repeated the method at the Carretero jewellery shop in the Madrid Sur shopping centre. They took possession of a blanket with gold chains valued at over 18,000 euros. A shop assistant pursued them but only managed to see them drive away in a dark-coloured car.
That same employee is the one who, weeks later, would confront the other hooded assailants armed with pistols who raided the shop on 18 May, and who managed to recover a raffia bag containing part of the haul.
The police report for the 16 April robbery was sent to the court on 6 May, shortly after the new arrests. There is no record of the arrested men being imprisoned.
Two cases, one jewellery shop
The violent robbery on 18 May, with pistols and hooded assailants, is being investigated by Group XIII of the Judicial Police from the Madrid Superior Headquarters. The owners of the Carretero jewellery shop reported that the haul from that raid was presumed to be significantly higher than the 18,000 euros from the previous robbery. Sources in the case insist that, despite the coincidence of the location and the temporal proximity, the perpetrators of one robbery and the other are not related to each other.
Source: ABC