LECCE – In recent days there has been talk of the 43-year-old from Monteroni di Lecce, arrested by the police, renamed the “Lupine of Salento” due to the unstoppable propensity for serial thefts. The name, however, is not entirely appropriate, either because he certainly doesn’t steal works of art as recently happened in the Louvre, preferring instead to take takings from bars and shops, or because he doesn’t use gloves on counters. Not infrequently the damage left behind exceeds the loot collected.
A sort of Lupine, with the nature of gentleman thief (it’s always just saying, let’s be clear), however, it seems to be happening in earnest these days, on the square in Lecce. It is characterized precisely by the accuracy of the inspections and even the delicacy with which it acts. He doesn’t seem to leave anything to chance and even what might appear to be a certain desire for order, almost a form of respect for the victims, could be a diversion.
Leave everything as you find it
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That is to say. Usually, those who experience first-hand the bad experience of an intrusion into their home find themselves in a war scenario: rooms turned upside down, drawers and wardrobes thrown open, objects thrown haphazardly onto beds and floors, sometimes even refrigerators emptied, because perhaps the unfortunates also wanted a snack.
In the case in question, as one victim wanted to tell LeccePrima (a woman from Lecce whose identity we are preserving, who filed a regular complaint at the police station and who intends to warn other potential “preys”), the thief took particular care: he took what interested him most and put everything back in its place. Even going so far as to close the front door with two locks. That is, the same ones that the woman had given before going out.
Yes, but why?
The question to ask is the one our Latin ancestors already asked themselves: to whom it is useful? In short, why so much courtesy? Far from believing that it could be gallantry as an end in itself, perhaps the explanation is another: if the criminal suddenly finds the owners of the house approaching, the latter may not immediately realize that they have suffered a break-in, even going so far as to meet him on the stairs or in the street without having any suspicions and calling the police when he is now well away. And therefore too late.
In the case in question, something similar happened. When the owner returned home, it took several minutes before she realized that something might have happened. Everything was perfectly in order, but a particular canvas bag was missing, which he uses to store a plastic case with some tools useful for his work. Well, the case had lost its bag. And at that point, he started looking everywhere, discovering how the thief had taken several jewels from the jewelery cases in which they were placed, making sure to close them and put them back exactly where he had found them.
The bag, obviously, used for the stolen goods.
Polite, almost unsuspecting
Speaking with some neighbors in her building, the woman then discovered that they had seen a man on the stairs in the early afternoon who was calmly preparing to gain the exit. Robust build, dressed quite well, polite, enough to return the greeting, albeit with a bit of coldness: “Good morning”. The only slightly suspicious detail is a large scarf around his neck. Lowered, at that moment, so much so that his face was uncovered. But it had only been for a moment, difficult to memorize his features well. The neighbors had thought he was the woman’s guest for Sunday lunch.
The story, in fact, dates back to Sunday 12 October. The victim was out, as mentioned, and the day does not seem to have been chosen at random. Many thieves act in the morning, when most people are at work, or at the weekend, when it is easier to be guests of friends or relatives, or perhaps at a restaurant. The incident occurred in the San Pio district of Lecce, in an area behind the former Case Magno. And from some video surveillance images of a nearby commercial activity, it was discovered that the mysterious individual had already carried out reconnaissance in the building the evening before. The objective is clear: to ascertain the existence or otherwise of particular security systems.
You can see him wearing a heavy dark jacket, a hood pulled down over his head, jeans, white tennis shoes and, above all, the famous scarf, in that case pulled tightly over his face, right up to his nose. It should be a person between 35 and 40 years old.
He chose between precious and costume jewellery
On the day of the theft, after having expertly forced the front door of the apartment, he went both to the woman’s bedroom and to other rooms, and took earrings, necklaces with sapphires and other objects, carefully choosing between gold and costume jewellery. In other words, he didn’t grab everything, and off he goes. He also made a selection. When the victim returned home and, as mentioned, only after several minutes did he realize the theft, he called the police. A police squad arrived on site for an inspection. And the next day she went to the police headquarters to report it.
The damage should be around 6 thousand euros. More than anything, they were objects that had sentimental value, inherited or linked to special days of his two children. And it is often precisely this that leaves a bad taste in the mouth, when artefacts that represent life memories vanish. A few days later, the victim of the theft also called a locksmith to change the lock. It was the latter who noticed some scratches. From the outside they were not easily perceptible.
It seems that the man was seen wandering around the same area in the following days too. He may have planned other attacks, perhaps in the same way. Better to be careful and also remember that a good practice is to photograph your precious objects and create a catalogue. Only in this way, in the event of theft, can we hope to get them back if they are recovered by the police after ending up in the receiving system.
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