The man had been doing this for months. (Representational Pic)
The police in Spain's Blanca region have arrested a man who became infamous at local restaurants for eating fancy dinner and then feigning a heart attack to avoid paying his bill, according to Daily Loud. The photo of the 50-year-old man has been circulated among restaurants in the region as a warning. Citing the police, the outlet said that he conned more than 20 restaurants. He was caught last month when the staff at one of the restaurant at a hotel presented a bill of $37.
When the staff member left, the man tried to leave but was stopped and notified that that he still had to pay the bill. The scammer then claimed that he was going to get the money from his hotel room, but the staff did not let him leave.
It was at this point that he started faking a heart attack.
"It was very theatrical, he pretended to faint and slumped himself down on the floor," the manager of the restaurant told a Spanish news outlet. "We have sent his photo around to all the restaurants to try and stop him from striking again."
Spanish news agency EFE reported that the man was wearing long gray pants, a polo shirt, trekking shoes and a vest from well-known brands.
He asked the restaurant staff to call for an ambulance, but they refused to do so and instead informed the police. When the cops arrived, they recognised the man from run-ins at other restaurants in Alicante and arrested him, EFE said.
He had been living in the city since November 2022.
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