Arrest of the 'Ghost Mechanic' in Elche: Charged Upfront and Vanished

He was entrusted with vehicles, charged upfront for supposed repairs, and then vanished. This was the modus operandi of a mechanic in Elche until the National Police, together with the local police of Elche, apprehended him. The officers also detained his accomplice. Through the joint collaboration of both forces, they managed to locate and seize seven vehicles used by the arrested individual for illicit gain.

The total amount defrauded by the arrested individuals amounts to nearly €5,000. Investigators continue their inquiries to locate other affected vehicles, according to police sources.

The investigation began after several complaints were filed with the National Police, in which the victims reported various incidents committed by the same person, who was responsible for a vehicle repair workshop in the town of Elche.

Some complainants told officers that after leaving their private vehicles at the workshop for various repairs, and even having made advance payments, the suspect not only failed to carry out the repairs but also stopped answering the phone, making it impossible to locate him as he was no longer at the workshop.

Two other victims reported that after purchasing second-hand vehicles from him, he kept the money without ever delivering them, as one was not his property and the other was seized. The workshop owner forged the necessary documents to make the victims believe the transaction was legal, according to the same sources.

In response to these reported incidents, National Police officers assigned to the Property Crime Investigation Group of the Elche Police Station launched an investigation to clarify the reported facts, requesting the collaboration of the Unit of Establishments and Activities (UEAC) of the Local Police Force to locate both the affected vehicles and the alleged mechanic responsible for the incidents.

After several operations conducted by officers from both forces, the workshop owner was located, and an inspection of the premises revealed seven vehicles involved in various criminal activities, which were then transported to the Municipal Vehicle Depot and subsequently returned to their rightful owners. The suspect was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of fraud, misappropriation, and document forgery.

A few days later, it was discovered that the main suspect had collaborated with a second individual who also profited from deceiving the victim into paying an amount of money under false pretenses, as their vehicle would never be repaired. The detainees, aged 41 and 51, were brought before the Magistrate's Court on duty.