Recently, law enforcement apprehended two men linked to a violent robbery in Holguín, following their identification as the perpetrators of a ruthless assault on an elderly man to steal his electric scooter. This crime transpired earlier this year when one of the attackers arranged a ride with the victim on his scooter to the Castillito de Mayabe area, as reported by the pro-government Facebook profile Cazador-Cazado.
Upon reaching the designated location, an accomplice emerged from hiding and struck the elderly man in the face with a brick, leaving him injured and abandoned. The assailants, identified as Erlem Noguerol Leyva and Erlem Alejandro Noguerol Gómez, took off with the scooter and altered it to avoid detection. Although Cazador-Cazado only shared an image of one of the culprits, authorities managed to track and arrest them during an operation, as emphasized by the regime-aligned profile.
Despite the modifications, the scooter was recovered, and the victim is now anticipating justice after sustaining severe injuries from the attack. One of the clearest indications of Cuba's worsening economic crisis is the surge in violent robberies involving electric scooters and phones, often accompanied by physical assaults on the victims.
In January, social media was shaken by reports of a violent incident following the murder of a 21-year-old man, allegedly stabbed while leaving work. According to a post in the Facebook group "Crímenes y desaparecidos en Cuba," a young man named Yoandri Giménez fell victim to a robber who reportedly stabbed him to steal his cell phone.
That same month, crime continued to escalate in Las Tunas, with reports of armed robberies by individuals wearing ski masks, raising alarms among residents of this eastern Cuban province. In a post in the Facebook group "Revolico Las Tunas (Arriba de la bola)," Claudia Pupo Ramón reported a nighttime robbery on January 5, between the Buena Vista tank and the buildings leading to the Vladimir Ilich Lenin University in Las Tunas city.
Understanding the Surge in Electric Scooter Thefts in Cuba
What led to the increase in violent robberies in Cuba?
The rise in violent robberies in Cuba is largely attributed to the worsening economic crisis, which has resulted in increased thefts targeting valuable items such as electric scooters and mobile phones.
How were the suspects in the Holguín robbery apprehended?
The suspects, identified as Erlem Noguerol Leyva and Erlem Alejandro Noguerol Gómez, were apprehended by authorities through an operation, despite attempts to alter the stolen scooter to avoid detection.