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Date Published: 21/09/2023

The expat who has been arrested 20 times for avoiding Alicante restaurant bills by faking a heart attack

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The well-known thief has dodged expensive food and drinks bills all over Alicante city

The expat who has been arrested 20 times for avoiding Alicante restaurant bills by faking a heart attack

A 50-year-old Lithuanian man has taken the old dine and dash scam to a whole new level in Alicante city, ordering pricey meals and drinks before feigning a heart attack to get out of paying. The expat is well-dressed and polite, so most restaurant staff served him without any suspicion whatsoever.

This week, the National Police, who call the notorious expat the ‘gastrojeta’, roughly translated as the cheeky foody, arrested him for the twentieth time.

His latest scam played out at the restaurant-tapería 'El Buen Comer' on Calle Mayor in central Alicante on Tuesday September 19. The expat ordered a seafood paella and two expensive whiskeys which came to 34.85 euros. Once his meal was finished, the man casually tried to leave the restaurant without paying and when he was stopped by a waiter, explained that he was going back to his hotel for money. When the restaurant manager didn’t buy this story, the Lithuanian threw himself on the ground and appeared to be having a heart attack.

The staff weren’t fooled though, and called the police. One of the arresting officers had arrested the man for similar scams on four previous occasions and immediately recognised him. They quickly established that he was perfectly healthy and transferred him to a jail cell to spend the night.

The thief’s brazen behaviour is baffling to officers, who explained that he usually has a smile on his face when they arrive to arrest him and never seems in the slightest bit ruffled or embarrassed. In fact, several times he has been sitting calmly at his table, finishing his unpaid for drink, waiting for the police.

According to the National Police, the expat knows the worst outcome is a night in a cell and since he has no known address in Alicante, this doesn’t bother him in the least. On the other hand, if he were to run and a struggle ensued, he would face far more serious charges for robbery with violence.

It is believed the expat has been in Alicante at least since November last year, when he was first arrested. Between November and December alone, he was arrested eight times for scamming restaurants and he’s been caught a further 12 times this year.

In other news: Alicante cities could lose millions in funding if they do not introduce Low Emissions Zones

Image: Freepik

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