Man disguised as a woman to rob an 86-year-old woman: two arrested in Piano di Sorrento

Piano di Sorrento "Madam, I'm a Carabinieri Marshal. Your son has been arrested, we need money now to keep him out of jail." It's noon when an 86-year-old woman's phone rings in Piano di Sorrento. On the other end, a firm, authoritative voice sparks panic within seconds. There's no time for a mother to think: there's only the urgent need to save her son.

While the scammers keep her cell phone locked to prevent her from calling for help, the woman collects everything she has: 5.000 euros in cash and the family jewels.

The disguise and the passing of the loot

The delivery appointment is on the street. On the sidewalk, agitated and in tears, the elderly woman encounters what appears to be a reassuring-looking woman. In reality, behind the wig and women's clothing, lies a man. The woman hands over the envelope containing the money and valuables—wedding rings, mementos of anniversaries and a lifetime of sacrifice—and the scammer quickly walks away.

The merchant's intuition and the arrest

The criminal plan was broken up by the watchful eye of a local shopkeeper. Knowing the victim and suspicious of the unusual man's movements, the man decided to follow him from a distance. The turning point came a few meters later, when the shopkeeper encountered a Municipal Police patrol.

The officers, alerted by the citizen, stopped the fugitive just as he was reaching his accomplice in a car. The police also arrived on the scene immediately. Carabinieri of the local company. The search removed all doubt: under the thirty-year-old's skirt, the envelope containing the recently stolen cash and gold was discovered.

Tears for the memories found

The two criminals—a 30-year-old from Caserta, already under house arrest in Castel Volturno for specific crimes, and a 26-year-old Tunisian—were arrested and transferred to the Secondigliano and Poggioreale prisons respectively, awaiting trial.

The most touching scene occurred shortly afterward at the barracks, when the stolen goods were returned. As she picked up her jewelry again, the elderly woman was moved in front of the officers. She cried not for the monetary value of the money, but for the return of those objects, symbols of affection and bonds she had thought lost forever.