The investigation unfolded after hotel staff in La Cala de Mijas witnessed a man smash a car window with a stone before making off in a municipal refuse lorry. Patrol officers dispatched to the scene located two damaged vehicles with shattered side windows.
Upon reviewing hotel security camera footage that corroborated the witness statement, Guardia Civil officers contacted management at FCC, the company holding the municipal refuse collection contract for Mijas town hall.
Police instructed the manager to direct the driver to halt at a specific location on his route without alerting him to the impending police inspection.
Search disproves fight alibi and uncovers stolen items
When intercepted by Guardia Civil officers, the driver attempted to explain away suspicious circumstances by claiming he had just been involved in an altercation with a group of foreign nationals.
However, a search of the lorry's cab immediately disproved his story. Officers discovered three V-16 emergency flashing beacons, various tools, and several stones hidden beneath the floor mats that matched those used in the vehicle break-ins.
Although the worker claimed the tools belonged to the lorry's standard equipment, FCC management confirmed to officers that the items were not company property.
The arrest came to light when Mijas town hall's cleaning department noted during a routine morning review that the night-time route had not been completed. Vehicle GPS tracking confirmed the lorry had stopped, prompting the deployment of a replacement worker.
FCC confirmed the arrested driver is a temporary employee contracted for a few months and stated that formal disciplinary action will be taken. The Guardia Civil is cross-referencing recent vehicle break-in reports across Mijas with the suspect's assigned shifts and GPS routes.