A bizarre incident involving an alleged armed robbery by a roadside in northern Greece was reported on Friday, with one 45-year man suffering a shotgun wound to the shoulder when 21-year-old man he was allegedly mugging fought back and took the weapon away.
The incident took place at an Aliakmonas River dam near the city of Veria.
What emerged a day after the violent incident, at least according to initial media reports based on statements given to police, is that a young couple claimed they were in the backseat of a parked car when another vehicle drove up behind them.
The driver then emerged from the second car, pointed a shotgun at the front seats of the couple’s vehicle and fired, twice, shattering the windows.
The alleged suspect then robbed the couple and took the younger man at gunpoint to an ATM in order to force him to withdraw cash. It was at the point, again according to the testimony by the couple, that the younger man managed to neutralize the gunman, with the weapon firing once during a struggle and hitting the 45-year-old in the shoulder.
The younger man’s girlfriend then called authorities with a cellphone.
The alleged suspect remained hospitalized under police guard on Friday, while the 21-year-old man was also arrested until the exact circumstances of the incident are clarified.
Handcuffed, charred body found in abandoned, burned car
In an unrelated incident in south-central Greece, the charred body of a man with his hands and feet bound with cuffs was found in the back seat of a burned vehicle.
The vehicle with the corpse inside was located by a hunter near the village of Skourta, in Viotia (Boeotia) prefecture, north of Athens. The car was reported as stolen from the greater Athens area and had fake licensed plates.
Authorities believe the car was burned at the spot two days ago. The investigation has initially centered on trying to find the identity of the victim.
The case has been transferred to the organized crime unit – Greece’s so-called “FBI” – due to its brutal characteristics.
