Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
CATANIA – An inexplicable act against the city’s hospital has led to a 40-year-old man being reported to the judicial authorities. The man, originally from Colombia but living in Mascalucia, was referred by the National Police (Polizia di Stato) on suspicion of aggravated theft after stealing a wheelchair intended for patients in the emergency room at Policlinico di Catania hospital.
The drunken arrival and the theft
According to the reconstruction by officers from the General Prevention and Public Assistance Office (UPGSP) on duty at the hospital’s fixed police post, the 40-year-old had arrived a few hours earlier at the emergency room reception in a clear state of alcoholic intoxication. The man was so disoriented by alcohol abuse that he was initially unable to provide his personal details to the doctors and police.
Taking advantage of a moment of confusion and the constant flow of people in the emergency department, the man spotted one of the wheelchairs provided for assisting patients with mobility issues. He took it and quickly left the building, disappearing without a trace.
The criminal complaint and the trace the following day
After noticing the theft of the essential medical device used to transport patients, the medical staff on duty immediately filed a criminal complaint with the hospital’s internal police office, providing a detailed description of the man and the incident.
The escapade ended the next day when, incredibly, the 40-year-old returned to the same emergency room. Waiting for him were police officers who, recognising him without a doubt, detained him and took him to the service offices for the usual formalities, leading to a formal criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Catania.
