His victims were aged 64 to 100: a serial thief from Montpellier confounded by his pernicious modus operandi

Le mis en cause ciblait les personnes âgées. Midi Libre – Illustration JEAN-MICHEL MART

Défavorablement connu de la justice, ce Montpelliérain de 40 ans a reconnu 47 vols de personnes âgées, perpétrés dans le but de se payer sa consommation de drogue.

They would have given him the good Lord without confession. This is what emerges from all the testimonies of his victims, aged between 64 and 100 years old. And yet, taking advantage of a pretty presence and a formidable glibness, this 40-year-old from Montpellier is behind a series of aggravated thefts to the detriment of nearly ;rsquo;around fifty vulnerable people.

This is the fruit of a judicial summary which made it possible to highlight the same operating mode in 47 acts perpetrated during the first half of 2023, in Lattes, Pérols, in different districts of Montpellier and, to a lesser extent, in Castelnau-le-Lez and Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone. And without the slightest physical violence, it must be specified.

Consequential harm

In this case, the accused showed up at the home of seniors, claiming a vehicle breakdown, and simply asked them for a little water for his defective radiator. A screwdriver to repair his capricious carburetor. Or simply to be able to call his partner so that she can come and pick him up.

Taking advantage of the credulity and kindness of the people who welcomed him, he robbed them while they went to get him what he had for them had asked. He thus made off with bags, mobile phones, jewelry, cash, bank cards, tablets… For total damage of several tens of thousands of euros.

Confused by his DNA

He was finally able to be identified thanks to a contactless payment, with a stolen bank card, made in a tobacconist where he was caught by video surveillance cameras. His DNA, found on glasses of water from several victims, finally confused him.

He was found when he had been placed in the Sas (support structure towards the exit), in the Euromédicine district, after having been imprisoned as part of ;rsquo;another affair, last June 16. Date on which these repeated aggravated thefts suddenly stopped.

"Sylvette", "Francine" or "René"

Heard in the context of this case, he admitted all the charges against him, plus a break-in during which he stole bicycles and scooters.

A notorious drug addict, he explained his actions by a need for liquidity to pay for his doses of cocaine. And admitted that before committing his crimes, he did scouting by selecting the "old" first names on the intercoms. such as "Sylvette", "Francine" or even "René".

While awaiting his presentation before the Montpellier judicial court, on October 2, he returned to his room within the support structure towards the exit.