98enne raggirata e derubata in casa: denunciata coppia di siracusani in trasferta

A comprehensive Carabinieri investigation has shed light on a serious case of aggravated extortion and snatching involving a 98-year-old woman, which occurred last May. Two people, a husband and wife resident in Syracuse, were reported to the Catania Public Prosecutor's Office. A complex investigation conducted by officers from the Calatabiano Carabinieri station, in the province of Catania, has allowed them to piece together, step by step, a structured and particularly insidious scam, culminating in the theft of gold jewelry belonging to the victim. According to the investigative reconstructions, the elderly woman was apparently contacted by telephone by a man who, posing as an intermediary for the delivery of a package supposedly intended for her granddaughter, demanded a payment of €3,000. During the same conversation, a second phone call—attributed to a woman pretending to be the elderly woman's granddaughter—further reinforced the deception, leading the victim to believe the request was genuine. Exploiting the woman's confusion and vulnerability, the scammers allegedly convinced her to hand over her gold jewelry. Shortly thereafter, a woman showed up at the elderly woman's home to collect the valuables. Faced with the victim's hesitation, she then forcefully tore open the bag containing the jewelry and quickly walked away. Subsequent investigations, conducted by the Carabinieri, involved analyzing public and private video surveillance systems, comparing the collected images, checking vehicle traffic, and taking a photo of the victim. This investigative work allowed them to precisely reconstruct the stages of the crime and identify the vehicle used by the alleged perpetrators, which was found to be rented in Catania. The evidence gathered thus led to the identification of two suspects, a couple aged 54 and 50, residents of Syracuse, both with criminal records, to whom investigators attribute distinct roles in the case. The two were reported to the Catania Public Prosecutor's Office for aggravated extortion and theft by snatching. It remains clear that the charges will be verified in court, in full compliance with the principle of presumption of innocence until a final verdict is reached. The incident refocuses attention on the phenomenon of elder fraud, a type of crime that continues to target the most vulnerable segments of the population, exploiting the trust, isolation, and emotional vulnerability of victims.