Neighbors capture alleged thief after snatching cellphone from a girl in Santiago de Cuba

A man was captured by neighbors of the San Pedrito neighborhood in the city of Santiago de Cuba, after allegedly snatching a cell phone from a girl.

A video shared on social media by journalist Yosmany Mayeta showed the moment when the individual, with his hands tied, was cornered by some neighbors who were talking to him and ensuring that he did not escape.

Although in the images you can't hear what they were talking about, it is clear that the man was answering everything they were saying, all in a context of widespread excitement.

According to the communicator - who cited statements from witnesses - the incident occurred on Bacardí Street.

The young girl -whose age has not been disclosed- was sitting with her grandparents at the door of their home when the alleged thief snatched the cell phone from her hands and ran off.

"The alleged snatcher was put into a police car after a while of the neighbors calling the police, and was driven to a unit in the main municipality," Mayeta Labrada concluded.

Until the closing of this report, there are no other details about the robbery, nor is the identity of the alleged thief known.

In the comments section of the publication, dozens of internet users questioned the effectiveness of the police action in similar cases, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the country, within a context of growing poverty and economic crisis.

Others claimed to know the alleged thief and were surprised because they said they would have never imagined him capable of such a thing.

In May, the Cuban government acknowledged that its "iron-fist" policy and confrontational approach to crime were not producing results, and that criminal "phenomena" continued to proliferate in society.

Authorities acknowledged this during a meeting of the working group for the prevention and combating of crimes and illegal activities, held in the halls of the Palace of the Revolution.

Led by the Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, the meeting served to analyze the outcome of the "confrontation" in the month of April. As reported by the Presidency's website, the head of government pointed out that "there is no progress in the identification and elimination of the causes and conditions that favor the proliferation of these phenomena."