16-year-old robs the same SUV twice in Vienna and is arrested on Brünner Straße

Two robberies of the same owner

Following the initial investigations, the juvenile was identified as a suspect and a search warrant was issued. The Vienna Police also asked that tips from the public not be shared publicly, but instead be submitted directly through the known channels.

The search ended in the early morning hours of a Sunday on Brünner Straße in the Floridsdorf district. Officers from the Floridsdorf City Police Command conducted a traffic check there and inspected a vehicle. As the police stated, "Als Beamte des Stadtpolizeikommandos Floridsdorf Sonntag in den frühen Morgenstunden auf der Brünner Straße eine Verkehrsanhaltung durchführten, stellte sich heraus, dass es sich bei einem Fahrzeug um den gestohlenen Land Rover handelte und bei dem Lenker um den gesuchten Rumänen."

Arrest on Brünner Straße

The 16-year-old was subsequently arrested. He made no statement regarding the allegations, as the police also noted: "Zu den Tatvorwürfen machte er keine Angaben." The officers subsequently took the juvenile to a facility for young suspects, where he was to be presented to the duty judge.

The accused is a Romanian citizen who, according to the police, made no statement on the matter. The law enforcement authorities are now examining whether the juvenile may be responsible for further offenses and whether the extortion of the vehicle owner extends beyond the incidents known so far.

Suspect's silence and further investigations

The Vienna Police assessed the case as an example of a consistent search for a specifically targeted young suspect. Officers from the Floridsdorf City Police Command had, according to reports, identified the stolen vehicle and the wanted driver simultaneously, thus enabling the arrest.

The Land Rover was secured and is now in official custody. The investigators are also examining possible connections to other vehicle thefts and extortions in Vienna, with no information on accomplices currently being released.

Securing the vehicle and the search

Media outlets such as the TV live stream from OE24 and other services had reported on the case and accompanied the search. The Vienna Police asked the public to continue to report tips directly to the nearest police station or through the known emergency numbers.

The 16-year-old must now answer for aggravated robbery, robbery-based extortion, and vehicle theft. As the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office stated on Monday, pre-trial detention (U-Haft) for the juvenile is being reviewed and, in parallel, the role of the accused in possible further cases is being investigated.