An individual was apprehended on Wednesday night at Elementary School #8, situated in the Nuevo Vista Alegre neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba, while allegedly attempting to steal a turbine from the educational facility. According to reports obtained by journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, security guards at the site heard noises around 8:00 p.m. As they went to investigate, they discovered the suspect with the turbine partially dismantled and stashed in a backpack.
On Facebook, the journalist and activist described how the security personnel immobilized the suspected thief by tying his feet to prevent an escape and subsequently notified the police, who took him into custody at a local station. The suspect's identity remains unknown, prompting Mayeta to seek assistance from the community for identification.
Previous Incident in Havana
In October, a group of citizens in Havana captured a thief who had assaulted an elderly man in the Vedado area. The moment the alleged criminal was apprehended and handed over to the police was recorded in a video by a witness and shared on Facebook by Cuban journalist Mario Vallejo.
"Right now! In front of the Vedado hotel in Havana, ordinary Cubans managed to subdue a thief who was snatching handbags and backpacks from his victims. Yet, the regime claims that crime on the island is minimal," Vallejo remarked. The footage reveals several individuals escorting the criminal down O Street, between 23rd and 25th, and holding him inside the hotel's service entrance until the police arrived.
The woman who recorded the video noted that hotel staff kept the suspect there because "people wanted to beat him up." A patrol car arrived shortly after, and two officers arrested the culprit, taking him to a police station.
Rising Crime Amidst Systemic Crisis
Comments on the video suggest the detained individual attempted to rob more than one person. One of the victims, an elderly man, is seen entering the Vedado hotel with employees who aided in the thief's capture.
Amid Cuba's systemic crisis, reports indicate a surge in insecurity across cities and towns, with frequent thefts, armed robberies, and murders. In numerous instances, citizens take it upon themselves to capture assailants and hand them over to the authorities, despite the lack of assurance that these criminals will be detained and properly prosecuted as they should be.