John Culatto
A FUENGIROLA man who claimed thieves broke into his home and stole a €450 watch later admitted to police it was a home insurance fraud.
The 51-year-old man reported the theft of the watch eight days after the alleged break-in, saying his front door had been forced open.
The plot soon unravelled when police investigated the crime and realised that that same night a patrol car had called at his home.
A neighbour had raised the alarm after he saw the door ajar.
National Police surmised that he was too drunk to remember that fact.
The local police had even asked him if he was the owner of the home on that night of October 20.
He responded he was but had forgotten the keys, which was why he had to break into his own home.
The man then lost his watch at a local festival and must have had the brainwave he could blame it on the break-in.
He marched to the police station and reported the stolen watch.
With that police ‘denuncia’ he headed off to his insurance company to get financial restitution.
But following the investigation, National Police found out about the fraud attempt and arrested the accused.
Under questioning, he admitted he had made up the break-in story to get the cash back from his home insurance premium.
Police revealed that the man had committed similar crimes in the past.
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