Three Serial Thieves Arrested in Riga and Sigulda

Officers from the Riga Regional Department of the State Police have detained three men suspected of a series of thefts from shops in Riga and Sigulda. The individuals are believed to have acted as a group and are linked to thefts of jewelry as well as an attempted theft of money from a safe and cash register.

The first incident occurred on May 2 in the Latgale suburb of Riga, where two men attempted a theft. While one distracted a saleswoman, the other entered a back room and tried to steal money from a safe and cash register. The shop owner noticed the intruder and disrupted the attempt, causing both suspects to flee. Approximately half an hour later, two gold rings were stolen from a jewelry store in Old Riga.

A second significant case occurred on May 19 in Sigulda, where a jewelry store was again targeted. Using the same distraction technique, the group stole two rings.

Following an investigation, police arrested a man born in 1990 and another born in 1992 on May 27 for the two crimes in Riga. It was determined that the 1992-born suspect also committed the Sigulda theft together with another man born in 1992, who was arrested on the same day.

All three arrestees have previous convictions for various crimes, including theft. Criminal proceedings have been initiated for both incidents, and police are investigating the suspects' potential involvement in other similar crimes.

Preventive measures: one suspect has been remanded in custody, another was already wanted for another crime and has been placed in a correctional facility, while the third has been given a non-custodial measure.

The State Police emphasizes the presumption of innocence – no person is considered guilty until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law.