The Carabinieri stopped him on the street in Procida. They forced him to open the backpack he was carrying and found €1,550 and some jewelry inside. The 13-year-old was unable to provide any explanation. Shortly thereafter, they determined that the money and jewelry had been stolen from an 83-year-old local woman. The elderly woman had been defrauded by the fake Carabinieri officer.
After returning the stolen goods to the victim, the officers took the 13-year-old to the barracks . His parents are separated. His father is in prison. He lives in Naples with his grandmother, mother, and little sister. He needs to be placed in custody, and it's not easy. His mother is on vacation, and after a long search, the officers managed to contact his grandmother.
The boy was released to his family. The incident was reported to the Naples Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, although the 13-year-old is not charged. The Carabinieri had begun a specific investigation after receiving several reports from residents of the island. Someone was attempting a fake robbery scam.
The calls all begin with the same sentence. "Ma'am, we're the Carabinieri. They just committed a bank robbery, and your car is visible on the security cameras. You must prove your innocence. Show our Carabinieri the jewelry you have, prove it's not the one that was just stolen." And while they were searching for suspicious people, they noticed the 13-year-old wandering the street. To justify himself, he said he was waiting for a taxi. When they opened his backpack, the money and jewelry came out.
