Man in Spain faked 20 heart attacks to avoid paying bills at upscale restaurants
A man in Spain who thought he was being slick by pretending to have heart attacks to avoid paying for his meals at fancy restaurants has been arrested by police.
According to a report from EFE, a Spanish news agency, the 50-year-old Lithuanian man was arrested last month in Alicante.
During this incident, the man had ordered two whiskeys and a seafood paella, and his bill was €34.85 (C$50.59). According to EFE, he had the appearance of a “wealthy tourist.”
The manager of the restaurant said his colleague saw the man trying to dine and dash. The man claimed that he needed to go to his hotel room to get cash but the staff did not let him leave without paying.
The man then “dramatically” fell down to the ground pretending to have a heart attack.
The staff did not believe his dramatics and called the police. When officers arrived, they recognized him, because this was not the first time he had pulled the stunt, reported EFE.
This was his 20th arrest this year for faking his illness to get out of paying the bill, stated the news agency.
His image has been shared with other restaurants in the area, to spread awareness of the scammer’s antics, reported EFE.Â
The man’s identity has not been released. EFE said he appeared before a judge last month.
According to a police officer who has arrested the man four times, he usually “smiles” when officers arrive and does not mind spending a night or two in jail for his crimes.
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