The Spanish Civil Guard recently solved an industrial warehouse theft in a town near Granada, with the stolen goods valued at 18,000 euros. A 47-year-old male suspect was lawfully arrested after leaving his personal mobile phone and ID card at the crime scene and proactively contacting the police the following day to claim his lost items.
Key Evidence Left at the Crime Scene
On the day of the incident, the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) responded to an alarm and rushed to an industrial warehouse in a town near Granada. When officers arrived, the suspects had already fled the scene, but the pungent smell of cut metal still lingered in the air. During the investigation, police found burglary tools left by the suspect, including a generator and a cutting machine. Crucially, a smartphone with its flashlight still turned on was found at the scene, and the suspect’s valid ID card was tucked directly inside the phone case.
Police Track Down the Stolen Materials
Using the ID information recovered at the scene, the Civil Guard quickly identified the suspect. Subsequently, law enforcement officers discovered a parked semi-trailer just outside the illegally entered warehouse. A comprehensive check revealed that the registered owner of the vehicle was the exact 47-year-old man who had dropped his ID card. Police found a large quantity of stolen iron materials inside the semi-trailer. According to preliminary estimates, the economic value of these stolen goods is approximately 18,000 euros.
Suspect Turns Himself In by Calling the Police
The day after the incident, the 47-year-old man surprisingly called the Civil Guard on his own initiative in an attempt to retrieve the phone he left at the crime scene. During the call, the suspect argued that the device belonged to a relative and falsely claimed that he had received verbal permission from the owner to enter the warehouse. However, the warehouse owner later went to the police station in person to file a formal report. By combining physical evidence of forced entry on the fences and doors, the seized burglary tools, and the owner’s testimony, the police completely disproved the suspect’s defense and promptly arrested him in accordance with the law.
