An 80-year-old Cuban who was trying to reach Spain to reunite with his daughter ended up spending more than two months in pretrial detention in Germany after participating, along with a 32-year-old Colombian, in the theft of gold jewelry valued at 7,000 euros.
The incident occurred in the city of Kassel, where both men were arrested shortly after stealing items from a jewelry store. This week they appeared before a court, admitted to the charges, and were released after receiving financial penalties.
According to the German newspaper Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (HNA), the elderly man explained during the trial that he had lived in Hamburg, where he made a living selling t-shirts, pants, and lipsticks on the street.
His intention was to move to Spain, where he hoped to find better opportunities for his small businesses and, above all, to reunite with his daughter.
However, during the trip he ran out of money and ended up involved in the robbery that would land him in prison.
The Cuban and the Colombian had met in a bar in Kassel frequented by Latin Americans and Spaniards. There, they agreed to steal jewelry from a commercial establishment located in Friedrichsplatz, a central square in the city.
According to the indictment, on August 8, the Colombian first entered the jewelry store and began talking to an employee while placing a large paper bag on the counter to obstruct their view.
Shortly after, the 80-year-old Cuban entered, taking advantage of the worker's distraction to slip several gold pieces into the bag.
Both left the establishment with jewelry worth approximately 7,000 euros, but were arrested shortly after with the stolen items.
As none of them had a fixed residence in Germany, the authorities ordered their detention in preventive custody at the Kassel-Wehlheiden penitentiary for more than two months.
"A foolish idea," according to the judge
During the court hearing held before the Kassel District Court, the defendants acknowledged their responsibility, expressed remorse, and apologized for what had happened.
Judge Ferchland referred to both of their plans as "a silly idea," especially since they were captured shortly after committing the crime.
The Colombian stated that he had been living in Spain with his family for 15 years and that he had worked as a laborer near Madrid, earning about 1,300 euros.
A friend had recommended that he travel to Germany because he supposedly could earn more money in construction. However, he stated that he worked and slept at a construction site without receiving the appropriate pay.
Condemned to pay fines and released
The court imposed a fine of 70 daily installments of 15 euros on the Cuban, amounting to 1,050 euros, while the Colombian received a penalty of 90 installments of 15 euros, totaling 1,350 euros.
In the case of the Colombian, the sentence also took into account that he was carrying a modified soft drink bottle with a pointed cap, which the prosecution considered a potentially weaponizable object.
The accused denied that it was a weapon and asserted that he used the bottle in his construction work, where he employed it to apply sealing materials.
However, the court found him guilty of a lesser charge of theft with a weapon. It was not reported that the object had been used to threaten or assault anyone during the incident.
Both men were released after the hearing. The sentences became final because the defendants waived their right to appeal.
At the moment, it is unknown if the 80-year-old Cuban was finally able to continue his journey to Spain to reunite with his daughter, a goal that, as he stated before the court, had prompted him to leave Hamburg.
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