Bologna - Brazen blackmail attempt in the heart of the city. A man approached a 24-year-old woman outside a pub in the central Piazza Maggiore. He claimed to know the thief who had recently stolen her cell phone. His offer: she could get her smartphone back for a ransom of 20 euros.
Escape attempt fails
The young woman did not accept the deal. Instead, she stopped a passing carabinieri patrol and described the incident. The suspect was still a few meters away at the time. When the man noticed the officers approaching him, he quickly placed the device on the ground. He then tried to make a quick getaway.
The carabinieri caught up with him after a few meters. A look at the database showed that the 37-year-old Moroccan was homeless and known to the police. He was also not allowed to be in Bologna due to an official ban. The officers handcuffed him for attempted extortion. The 24-year-old recovered her phone unharmed a short time later.
