Two Italian nationals, aged 20 and 23, have been arrested by Calvia Local Police for allegedly stealing a bag from American tourists while they were swimming at Cala Comtessa in Illetes, Mallorca. One suspect reportedly assaulted a victim who tried to prevent their escape in a rental car. The Guardia Civil later searched the suspects' hotel room, discovering a luxury watch, gold necklace and substantial cash.
The suspects appeared before a duty judge on Sunday afternoon, represented by lawyer Ana Vila, and were released pending further investigation. They claimed the victims had mistaken their identity and stated they could prove ownership of the items found during the search.
According to judicial sources, the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Calvia Local Police received an alert from Cala Comtessa's first aid post. A swimmer reported seeing a young man in blue swimming trunks taking his bag whilst he and his partner were in the sea. The bag contained personal documents, a watch, two mobile phones, a GoPro camera and keys to a Mini Cooper.
The victim and an off-duty Swedish police officer detained the suspects as they attempted to flee in their rental vehicle. The male victim had discovered the young men in his car, attempting to start it with his stolen keys, when one suspect pushed him to the ground. The victim positively identified both individuals as those who had taken their belongings from the beach.
Given the suspects' origin, Guardia Civil investigators suspected possible links to luxury watch theft operations in the area. They obtained a warrant to search the suspects' hotel room in Torrenova, where they discovered a luxury timepiece, gold necklace and cash - items the occupants couldn't immediately prove they owned.