Police have launched an appeal to find the victim of so-called ‘hugger muggers’ in the expat haven of Torrevieja.
Video footage shared by the Guardia Civil shows a woman hugging a frail, elderly man in the middle of the street.
The gentleman can be seen attempting to push her away, while the person filming the video from a balcony above seemingly shouts something at her.
The thief, branded ‘vile’ by locals online, is seen waving a dismissive hand towards the person filming before fleeing the scene.
She was later arrested by the Guardia Civil, who managed to recover a gold chain that she is believed to have snatched from the man.
The force said in an appeal: ‘We need your help identifying the victim of a theft using the “hug” method in Torrevieja, Alicante.
‘A witness recorded the moment a gold chain was stolen from an elderly man.
‘Thanks to this, the two suspects were quickly identified and arrested. The chain has been recovered.
‘We need to locate the owner to return it. To provide any information, please contact us on 965710113.’
Hugger muggers target vulnerable people in the street by pretending to know them and going in for a hug.
When the mark is initially distracted, they pick their pockets or expertly remove their jewellery.
It’s often not until a few minutes later – or longer – that they realise that their items are missing.
