Two men, aged 59 and 64, have been arrested by the Ertzaintza in Portugalete for attempting to break into a flat on Wednesday around 11:30 AM, with the owner inside. According to the Basque Government's Security Department, a patrol from the Muskiz police station was dispatched to the San Roque neighborhood following a report of a burglary attempt in an occupied dwelling.
Officers encountered two men on the third floor who matched the description provided, as they were attempting to use the elevator. After their identification, the homeowner confirmed to the Ertzaintza that one of the men was indeed the individual who had tried to access her home.
“"I was in the hallway of my house when I heard noises at the front door and saw a plastic sheet repeatedly passing through my door from top to bottom near the lock."
The victim, a 27-year-old Spanish national, explained that she heard noises at the door while in the hallway and observed a plastic sheet being inserted into the lock. Upon looking through the peephole, she saw one of the individuals manipulating the door with the plastic.
During a pat-down search, officers found two plastic cards, one of which was folded. These were allegedly used in an attempt to force the lock using the "slip method," which involves inserting a plastic sheet between the door frame and the lock to open it.
Consequently, the two men, of Maghrebi origin, were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary in an occupied dwelling. Both arrestees, who have prior criminal records for various offenses, were taken to police facilities and will be brought before a judge after the completion of legal proceedings.
