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Residents of the Rampa Popular Council in Vedado captured a man this Wednesday who attacked a young woman to steal her electric motorcycle at the intersection of J and 21 streets, and handed him over to the National Revolutionary Police (PNR).
The incident was shared on social media by Pedro Lizardo Garcés Escalona, president of the Rampa People's Council and delegate for Circumscription 6, who published photos of the detainee and urged any previous victims to come forward at the police unit on Zapata and C, in Vedado.
"Yesterday morning, the individual shown in the photos attacked a young woman riding her electric motorcycle at the intersection of J Street and 21 in the Rampa Popular Council with the intent of stealing her means of transportation. As usual, our community thwarted the action, detained the perpetrator, and handed him over to the National Revolutionary Police," wrote Garcés Escalona.
The official stated that anyone who has been a victim of this individual can go directly to the unit at Zapata and C to file their complaint.
In his post, Garcés Escalona used the popular expression "On Rampa, take out the hand that itches the rooster!" to warn potential criminals, and described the Consejo Popular as "a zone of peace and tranquility" where those who attempt to disrupt it "will face the strength of our people and the law."
The episode repeats a pattern that has become frequent in various provinces of the country. Last May, neighbors in Vedado caught an alleged thief who stole a phone from an elderly woman while on a prison furlough. That same month, a person was arrested for stealing an electric tricycle in Santiago de Cuba.
In February, neighbors in Santiago de Cuba detained suspected thieves after several attempted robberies, including one involving an electric motorcycle. And at the end of 2024, a wave of electric motorcycle thefts shook Matanzas with break-ins at homes during the night.
Electric motorcycles have become one of the most sought-after goods by criminals in Cuba, given their high value in the informal market amidst the economic and energy crisis the island is experiencing.
The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing (OCAC) recorded 2,833 verified crimes in 2025, a 115% increase compared to 2024 and a 337% rise compared to 2023, with theft being the most common crime, documented in 1,536 cases. The provinces most affected were Matanzas, Granma, Havana, and Santiago de Cuba.
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