Monte di Procida – A morning of ordinary patrolling turned into a scene from action movies On the roads of the Phlegraean Fields. The arrogance of those who believe themselves untouchable, the screeching of tires on asphalt, the blaring sirens, and, finally, the handcuffs.
This is the result of a brilliant operation conducted by the Carabinieri of the Naples Investigative Unit and the Pozzuoli Company, which led to the arrest of four repeat offenders and the downfall of a prominent fugitive.
It all began late in the morning in Monte di Procida, in the hamlet of Cappella. The officers noticed a black Fiat 500x with four men inside. Their attitude was bold, their glances too nervous at the intersection with the Carabinieri "gazelle." A suspicion was enough to prompt a stop. But the 500x didn't pull over: the driver pressed his foot on the accelerator.
The movie chase up to Fusaro
Thus begins a mad three-kilometer race through residential areas. The Fiat cuts corners, turns left, then sharply right, ignoring every rule of the Highway Code in the desperate hope of escaping the police. But the Carabinieri don't let go and remain glued to the fugitives' bumpers.
The blind 500X races onto Via Fusaro in Bacoli. It's here that the trap is sprung: a second Carabinieri patrol car is blocking the road, positioned to block any escape route. The driver of the black car attempts a last, desperate maneuver: slamming on the handbrake, spinning out onto the asphalt to reverse, but there's no room. The car is forced to stop.
Escape on foot and manhunt
The traffic jam on Via Fusaro isn't enough to quell the instinct to flee. The doors fly open simultaneously: the four of them burst out of the car like wild shrapnel, ready to flee on foot.
The Carabinieri's quick reflexes allow them to tackle two of them instantly. The other two run in opposite directions. One seeks refuge by running breathlessly through the alleys of Bacoli, but is caught and immobilized shortly thereafter. The fourth man, who at first seemed to have vanished like a ghost, is tracked down after a quick manhunt in the surrounding countryside, discovered by another Gazelle that had arrived to assist.
The “perfect” burglar's kit
Why such a rush to escape? The answer comes from a search of the vehicle, which turns out to be a veritable arsenal for high-level burglaries.
In the trunk, the soldiers found a burglary kit that would be the envy of professionals in the sector: a grinder, two heavy iron poles, a balaclava and, above all, tools for lock "surgeons".
Indeed, 14 universal keys for armored doors and 4 infamous "Mickey Mouse" keys (tools capable of decoding and opening the latest-generation European cylinder locks without forcing them) stand out. To make matters worse, and to suggest the disturbing possibility of fake roadblocks used to rob or defraud motorists, the discovery of a traffic sign bearing the emblem of the City of Naples.
The Fall of the Fugitive
Once taken to the police station for identification, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, revealing the true motive behind their desperate escape. Along with Luca Orsetti (31), Luca Di Fraia (27), and Daniele Innocente (23)—who were placed under house arrest on charges of dangerous escape and aiding and abetting—there was a "big fish."
The fourth man is Gennaro Rizzo, 45. Not just a thief, but a long-time fugitive. Rizzo had been a ghost since last October, when he managed to evade an arrest warrant from the Velletri Court.
Last January, he then escaped again, evading a major raid by the Investigative Unit (ordered by the Court of Northern Naples), which dismantled a gang of 38 people involved in criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen goods, and fraud, specializing in cleaning out villas across Italy.
His run, protected to the last by his three accomplices, was dashed against the flashing blue lights on Via Fusaro. The gates of Poggioreale prison opened directly for him.
It seems strange to me, a bit confusing in the stories. The Carabinieri did their job, but there are so many questions: how could they have gone so fast, why didn't the 500X stop immediately? Then the break-in kit is scary, but the doubt remains as to whether there wasn't something else out there.