17-Year-Old Arrested in Alicante for Faking a Robbery to Retrieve Lost Phone

The National Police have arrested a 17-year-old for pretending to be a victim of a robbery to retrieve his lost phone. The complainant thought that by doing this in the police station, he could get his smartphone, which was in the Carolinas neighborhood.

To achieve this, the young man concocted a false story and filed the complaint with the National Police. The minor, along with his mother, claimed that in the morning, while taking public transport in the Carolinas neighborhood, a young man offered them an unknown drink. After drinking it with his friend, he claimed he woke up disoriented, with no memory and shoulder pain. Additionally, his phone, documents, and bus cards were missing.

The complainant also indicated that his friend woke up disoriented in another location. Investigators began to suspect the statements as they did not match initial inquiries. They were also unable to hear from the supposed friend, as the young man did not provide the necessary information to locate him.

Later, the police verified that in the place where they drank the stranger's drink, there were many people, but the supposed victim was never seen, leading to a re-interview at the station. He appeared "nervous and offended" when questioned again.

Finally, the complainant confessed that he made it up because he lost his phone, which was located near the place of the fake crime. Due to these events, the 17-year-old Colombian was arrested as a suspected perpetrator of a crime simulation. The detainee had a police record for a different nature incident. The actions were reported to the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office in Alicante.

The National Police report that a crime simulation is a report where one pretends to have been responsible or a victim of a non-existent criminal act, without accusing a specific person.

This type of crime is often committed by people who want to hide the embarrassment of losing an object by carelessness. It also occurs when the complainant wants to claim some insurance for the lost or stolen object. The perpetrators are often people without a criminal record, who have not usually had problems with the law and are unaware that simulating a crime is classified as a crime in the penal code.