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 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 pieces from a jewelry store. This week they appeared before a court, acknowledged the facts, 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 business and reunite with his daughter.
However, during the trip he ran out of money and ended up getting involved in the robbery that would lead him to 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 store located in Friedrichsplatz, a central square in the city.
According to the accusation, 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 valued at approximately 7,000 euros, but were apprehended shortly after with the stolen items.
Since none of them had a fixed address in Germany, the authorities ordered their preventive detention in the Kassel-Wehlheiden correctional facility for over two months.
"A silly 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 described the plan of both as a "foolish idea," especially since they were captured shortly after committing the crime.
The Colombian recounted that he had been living in Spain with his family for 15 years and that he had worked as a laborer near Madrid, where he earned about 1,300 euros.
A friend had recommended that he travel to Germany because he could supposedly earn more money in construction. However, he claimed that he worked and slept at a job site without receiving the appropriate salary.
Condemned to pay fines and released
The court imposed a fine of 70 daily installments of 15 euros on the Cuban, totaling 1,050 euros, while the Colombian received a sanction of 90 installments of 15 euros, amounting to 1,350 euros.
In the case of the Colombian, the sentence also took into account that he was carrying a modified soda bottle with a pointed cap, which the prosecution classified as an improvised weapon with a sharp tip.
The defendant denied that it was a weapon and asserted that he used the bottle in his construction work, where he used it to apply sealing materials.
Nonetheless, the court found him guilty of a lesser charge of theft with a weapon. It was not reported that the item was used to threaten or harm anyone during the incident.
Both men were released after the hearing. The sentences became final because the defendants waived their right to appeal.
For 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, the reason that, as he stated before the court, had led him to leave Hamburg.
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