Man arrested after stealing from charity box at Malaga chapel

The National Police have arrested a 50-year-old man who reportedly broke into a charity box inside the chapel of the Hermandad de la Piedad, located in the El Molinillo neighbourhood in Malaga. The detainee is also suspected of five thefts carried out in establishments, mostly bars and restaurants, in Malaga city centre.

The investigation was launched after the La Piedad brotherhood reported that someone had forced the alms box to steal from it. The investigators focused on identifying the offender by reviewing the footage recorded by security cameras in the area.

While they were working on that, they received several other reports concerning thefts in bars and restaurants. The suspect's physical appearance in all of the thefts coincided with that of the chapel perpetrator. It was discovered that the man would take advantage of employees' distraction to gain access to the cash register or any valuable items he could get.

Locating the suspect was a difficult task, given the security measures he took. However, the police set up a search operation in the areas most frequented by him and ultimately managed to arrest him.