Elderly and churches targeted in Limassol thefts

 Stefanos Evripidou – October 2013

Cyprus

A 20-YEAR OLD man was remanded in custody for two days on Saturday by the Limassol district court in connection with an attack on a 70-year-old kiosk owner who was robbed of €30.

Limassol CID chief Ioannis Soteriades said statements were taken implicating the 20-year-old Greek Cypriot in the kiosk robbery leading to his arrest and remand. The 20-year-old denies any involvement in the crime.

The robbery took place on Thursday morning by two hooded men who entered the kiosk and used pepper spray on the elderly owner, hitting him and tying him with duct tape. They made off with €30.

Also, church items worth €70,000 were stolen from two churches in Lofou and Sylikou in the LImassol district, said Soteriades.

According to the CID head, the church of Ayios Giorgos in Sylikou was burgled on Thursday night though the theft was only noticed the next morning when the village priest went to light candles.

He found all holy vessels, oil lamps, crosses, chalices and other items worth a total of €22,000 were missing.

Police went to the scene to carry out an investigation.

The second burglary took place the same night at the PanayiaChrysolofitissaChurch in Lofou, also discovered by the village priest on the Friday morning.

According to police, church items worth a total of €45,000 were stolen.

Soteriades said police believe the burglaries are the work of two people who police are already looking for in connection with similar crimes committed in the Paphos district.

Meanwhile, Soteriades said Limassol police are investigating three people in connection with charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, carrying a knife, assault, and causing actual bodily harm.

“Two cars carrying three people stopped in the middle of the road near a beachfront hotel in our city. The three people got out of their cars and began fighting among themselves,” he said.

The incident took place on Friday afternoon. Soteriades told the Sunday Mail that it appears the three had some differences which they attempted to solve in the middle of the road. Police are looking into the possibility that all three were carrying knives.

All three sustained injuries on various parts of their bodies from a sharp object, possibly a knife, and are being treated at Limassol general hospital and a private clinic.

One of the three, a 34-year-old, was kept in for treatment at the private clinic. The other two are brothers, aged 34 and 21, who were also kept in for treatment at the general hospital.

All three were remanded in custody for four days on Saturday to help with investigations. They remain under police watch at the hospital and private clinic.

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