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ARCHIVED - Serial street robber nabbed after being chased down by teacher at Alicante beach
The teacher was hiking with students and captured a video of the suspect on San Juan beach on the Costa Blanca
The quick-thinking actions of a teacher hiking with a group of students in the San Juan beach area of Alicante has led to the arrest of a 33-year-old man in connection with four street robberies.
The fourth of the victims was a 66-year-old woman who was walking with her husband who suffers from Alzheimer's when she was approached and pushed from behind. After a brief struggle, the suspect stole the mobile phone she was talking on at the time and ran off.
On hearing the woman's cries for help, the teacher on a field trip immediately set chase, filming the robber throughout the pursuit.
Another member of the public called 091 and a National Police patrol quickly arrived on the scene. Armed with the teacher's video evidence, an extensive search was activated. Within half an hour, a male who fit the description and wearing the same clothing was located out of breath and in possession of the stolen phone.
A subsequent investigation led police to believe the same alleged robber was responsible for three other similar thefts committed during the last month in the vicinity of elderly care and health centres in the area.
The victims were all elderly people who were approached from behind to surprise them and robbed of their belongings.
One of the victims, a woman in her 70s, was injured after being pushed to the ground.
The arrested man, of Algerian nationality, has no previous police record in Spain and is now in the hands of the judicial authorities.
The National Police has since thanked the teacher and other witnesses for their help in catching the alleged street robber, but has reminded members of the public that "whilst community assistance is often vital in tackling crime", at no time should people compromise their own safety.
Image: Policía Nacional
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