Salerno – A criminal plot that seemed straight out of a Hollywood script, but with a denouement straight out of a police manual: two Salerno residents, a 32-year-old and a 46-year-old already known to the judicial press, attempted an armed robbery in a betting shop right across from the Carabinieri barracks, in the heart of the Mercatello neighborhood.
The swift intervention of Carabinieri from the Mobile Radio Section and officers from the Police Headquarters stopped the attack at its worst, leading to the immediate arrest of the criminals on serious charges: aggravated robbery, kidnapping, illegal possession of a firearm (a blank replica without the red cap), resisting a public official, and receiving stolen goods.
The day's takings, €1.200 in cash, were recovered intact, while the employee—a 28-year-old man still in shock—was released without a scratch. The sequence of events unfolded yesterday evening, around 9:00 PM, on Via Raffaele Mauri, a busy street just steps from the Carabinieri Provincial Command.
The two, disguised with balaclavas and gloves, forced entry to the "Lucky Bet" betting shop—a modest establishment with slot machines and screens for games—slamming the shutter shut to isolate their prey.
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The employee, alone at the counter at that low-traffic moment, found the barrel of a gun pointed at his chest. "Give us the money or I'll shoot," the younger man, CD, threatened, while his accomplice BP rummaged through the drawers. The poor man, trembling, handed over his evening's takings, the fruit of football and horse racing bets, without resisting for fear of retaliation.
But fate had other plans. A mixed patrol of Carabinieri and police, patrolling the neighborhood for urban decay—a hotspot for petty crime and drug dealing—noticed the suspicious activity: the shutter hastily lowered, a car with its engine running nearby, and a passerby reporting over the radio, "Two hooded men inside."
In less than two minutes, the police burst in: kicking in the door, shouting "Stop, police!", and a furious fight ensued. The robbers, taken by surprise, attempted to flee brandishing the fake gun—which only after an expert examination revealed was a blank-firing pistol, a faithful replica of a Beretta 92, but harmless without real bullets.
Pinned to the ground, they ended up handcuffed, with minor scratches and bruises from resisting. The two arrested—an unemployed man with a criminal record for theft and a laborer with a conviction for brawling—were sent to Fuorni Prison: the investigating judge confirmed their arrests this morning, adjourning the fast-track trial to Monday.
Comments (1)
The article describes a news story that seems very serious and worrying, but some things are unclear. Why did the two robbers choose that particular betting shop? Is there any other information about their criminal records?