Gipsy Lady Robbers in Moraira - Spanish Real Estate forum - Spanish property

Homefinder · 08-31-2008, 03:01 PM

Big Bertha Strikes Again!

Moraira has been plagued with these pests for years, so they cannot be the same ladies – otherwise they would be as old as me now!

The latest exponents of “walk in, walk our” excel expectations in terms of sheer nerve – and they even use their own car for “work”

If you live in the Moraira area it would be wise to keep a look out for them. One lady remains in the car with the engine running. The other walks brazenly in, grabs what she can and gets out quick.
If challenged she asks for a glass of water or pretends to be a cleaning lady.

The Description (of the lady who enters the house, I am going to call her Big Bertha): 45 to 50 years 1’60 – 1’65, well built (overweight and muscular), Mediterranean colouring, light brown, shoulder-length hair (normally tie into a single pony-tail), distinctive fleshy face with “drooping” features and Spanish –speaking.

The Car: Red, medium size, make and model not known, registration –
A-????-CX

Sorry, I thought best not to publish this but if anyone needs it please PM me.

In a recent episode Big Bertha lifted a locked steel sliding-gate off its runners, that’s why I say “Muscular”. She entered the premises alone, even though there was a car in the drive, walked right round the house and into the open kitchen door, whilst my clients where sunbathing by the swimming pool.
Fortunately, there was a little girl in the house (9 – 10 years of age) who challenged Bertha, who had already picked up her Dad’s wallet. She pretended to be a cleaner but the little girl shouted for her parents. At this point she grabbed the girl by her shoulder and the parents came running in. She dropped the wallet, let go of the girl and fled.

The clients got the registration number, phoned the police and then called me.

The police showed the clients a series of photos and they identified Big Bertha - remember that they also already had the car registration!
They explained to the clients that they could make a complaint but, as the gate had not been damaged and nothing actually stolen, there would be no criminal charge.
Even though the girl had been technically assaulted she had no injuries and was just very upset.
The sergeant spoke to the little girl through me as an interpreter, which I thought was very good of him. He said that she should not be so upset, that he knew Big Bertha, who was never violent and was probably just as frighten as the girl was because she just wanted to get away before her Dad came into the house.

. . . so keep an eye out for Bertha and her red car – and lock the house when you are around the swimming pool.

Homefinder

Smiley · 09-04-2008, 04:28 PM

That is awful, there was an attempted child abduction earlier this year which the police were made aware. I suggest that the quickest form of alerting the public is to notify your local radio station.

Smiley

Homefinder · 09-04-2008, 04:58 PM

Smiley - that's sound a great idea!
Who would you suggest for the Moraira area? Smile FM Radio?

Joking apart, would they actually announce it over the radio? Do you think that I Should get them to publish Big Bertha's car registration number?
Actually I am becoming quite paranoid about it. Every time I see a red car, I check the number. If I find her I think that I would follow her in the hope that I will see her walk into someone's house again. Then I would call the police and keep following her until they found me.
Could be a bit risky 'cos she is an awful big lady - I certainly would not want to meet her in a dark alley!

Homefinder

Smiley · 09-04-2008, 05:46 PM

No I would suggest that we contact for example Smile Fm 99.9 & 99.0fm

, and then they will contact all the the radio stations to put an announcement out for any emergencies. Its also way of the community joining together with police authorities, working together as a team could be very successful. I would not recommend you approach Big Bertha, I'd leave that for the police.....

Smiley

Homefinder · 09-04-2008, 06:06 PM

Listen Smiley - I'll deal with Big Berta my way!
I like to live dangerously. If she attacks me I'll KISS her and scare the living daylights . . .
Homefinder

Linka · 09-08-2008, 12:19 PM

Gor Blimey Homefunder, You're very Heroic, I came over all of a swoon reading your post. I'm now sat with smelling salts and a glass of water...

Homefinder · 09-08-2008, 01:27 PM

There was another one this Saturday and I was in the house at the time "settling the clients in" after arrival.
One lady saw this guy (18 - 20 years) in the garden with a sack of leaflets for Terra Mitica. He left one in in a flower-pot and walked away but she told me nothing about this. 5 minutes later they discovered 2 bags missing from the dining room table together with money, credit cards etc.
I went tearing after him in my car and drove around the nearby streets - but nothing! It seems that there were two of them and had a car waiting.
The Municipal Police found one of the bags, half-hour later, on the side of the road in Teulada - minus the cash but everything else was recovered.

Why now at the end of the season? I have had a Summer virtually free of problems like this. I am going to keep a can of red spray-paint in my car.
If I get half a chance - they get marked, the car as well!

Homefinder

Colin S · 09-08-2008, 06:29 PM

Believe me, if Homefinder kissed anyone they'd probably die instantly of shock.

Homefinder · 09-08-2008, 06:51 PM

I resemble that remark

Linka · 09-09-2008, 01:18 PM

Joking apart. Its very sad that we have to become afraid to leave our doors unlocked even when we are in our own homes. We thought we'd left all that behind in England. Some friends of ours with a baby are so worried they have fenced their house in like a prison camp.
It doesn't seem to matter where you live there are always some people that leech off of others.