Several thefts

Vienna: Shop assistant threatened with toy gun

The suspect threatened the employee with this weapon.

(Bild: LPD Wien)

A rather unusual theft took place in Vienna-Margareten on Tuesday afternoon. A suspect pulled out a toy gun after he was caught stealing a can of beer.

A 26-year-old Austrian felt unobserved in a supermarket in Margareten's Kliebergasse on Tuesday afternoon. However, he was not quite as unobserved as he felt. A store detective, who was also present in the supermarket, watched on camera as the young man, dressed in a jacket, looked around in all directions and stuffed a can of Schwechater beer into his jacket pocket. The thief then marched past the checkout area of the store and pretended that he had decided not to buy anything.

In that supermarket, the thief pulled out his gun for a can of beer - it was just a toy.

(Bild: Gerhard Bartel)

Detained beer thief
But the thief had not reckoned with the attentive store detective. He immediately ran to the tills and confronted the beer can thief. Instead of engaging in a clarifying conversation, however, the 26-year-old pulled out a firearm that he was carrying in his other jacket pocket. He threatened the detective. However, his threats came to nothing - the employee quickly realized that it was only a toy gun. Even the red plastic plug, which is common for toy guns, was still in the front of the pistol. He detained the beer lover until the police arrived.

Several thefts already
The Austrian is no stranger to the police. On November 30 and December 1, 2023, he had already stolen - presumably also beer - from other supermarkets in Vienna. Also on 6 and 18 January. On January 21, he robbed a supermarket in Salzburg. According to police spokesman Markus Dittrich, the notorious thief was reported at large. The beer was taken from him.