Tourist Arrested for Staying Weeks in Alicante Hotel Without Paying

An American man, aged 59, enjoyed a grand holiday with his partner in Alicante, all for free. According to this newspaper, the tourist stayed for several weeks in a central hotel in the city. Initially, he paid for his stay, but later claimed he had 'bank issues' and stopped paying. The National Police arrested him for alleged fraud.

Apparently, the arrested man kept stalling the hotel staff for several days when asked for payment. He promised to borrow money from a friend and pay the debt as soon as he had it. This excuse bought him time until the hotel owner grew tired and alerted the authorities.

The National Police dispatched a patrol from the Citizen Attention Group to investigate the matter. Initially, the officers gave the tourist a chance to make the promised transfer, but when it became clear it was a bluff, they arrested him for fraud.

Two days after his arrest on May 13, a speedy trial was set, but he did not testify, according to judicial sources. In total, the American failed to pay 1,284 euros for numerous nights at the hotel, excluding cleaning costs, according to the owner, which means the defrauded amount could be higher.

The alleged fraudster has returned to the United States. As it is a minor offence, it is unlikely that his country will extradite him or issue an international arrest warrant. However, if he fails to appear for trial, he will not be able to return to Spain without risking arrest until the statute of limitations expires. He also cannot legally reside in the European Union if the order has been communicated at the European level.