A 45-year-old man has been arrested by the Guardia Civil after being caught allegedly carrying out a burglary inside a house in Las Americas in the south of Tenerife.
The suspect was discovered red-handed inside the property before attempting to flee on foot. Officers quickly chased him down and arrested him just a short distance away, recovering a backpack filled with stolen valuables.
Alert raised by emergency call
The incident began after officers at the Guardia Civil police station in central Las Américas received an urgent call that an unknown person had entered a home.
A patrol was immediately sent to the address, where officers found the suspect still inside the property.
As soon as he realised he had been spotted, the man tried to escape on foot, but officers caught and detained him within moments.
Stolen property recovered
Following the arrest, officers searched the suspect and found a backpack containing several valuable items believed to have been stolen from the house.
The homeowner was able to identify the belongings, which were returned immediately.
Well known to police
Checks carried out by the Guardia Civil revealed that the suspect, who lives in Arona, has numerous previous convictions and police records for similar property crimes using the same method.
After the investigation was completed, he was brought before the competent judicial authority in Arona to face burglary charges.
The Guardia Civil says the swift response by officers following the emergency call was key to catching the suspect in the act and recovering the stolen property before it could be lost.
