Torre del Greco – A swift robbery, a car chase, and a hit-and-run that could have turned tragic. This is the sequence of violence that shook the center of Torre del Greco on September 4th, culminating in the arrest of Giuseppe Cozzolino, 67, a resident of Ercolano and already known to law enforcement.
He was stopped by the Carabinieri of the Torre del Greco company's operational and radiomobile unit, after a rapid investigation that reconstructed every phase of the incident.
The theft inside the ice cream shop
It's early morning when Cozzolino bursts into the lab of an ice cream shop on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Taking advantage of an employee's moment of distraction, he grabs his bag and rushes outside. A car, later found to be stolen, is waiting for him.
The pursuit and the investment
The victim, immediately noticing the theft , refused to give up and attempted to chase the thief. It was then that the 67-year-old, attempting to escape, struck him head-on with his car. The man was injured on the asphalt while the robber fled, disappearing without a trace.
The investigation and arrest
The breakthrough came thanks to the cross-referencing of video surveillance footage from the area and testimonies gathered on the spot. The cooperation of the Torre del Greco local police was also crucial, the military explained. Within hours, the escape route was reconstructed and the perpetrator's face identified.
Cozzolino faces very serious charges: aggravated robbery, attempted murder, and receiving stolen goods. His arrest was confirmed, and he is now in prison.
The victim, however, escaped with injuries that were deemed to heal in twenty days: injuries that could have had far more serious consequences.
