A 24-year-old Spanish woman employed as a housekeeper at a prominent hotel in Alicante has been apprehended by the Policia Nacional for allegedly taking money from room safes. The suspect reportedly exploited a universal access code, gaining illicit entry into the secure compartments.
The arrest came after two guests of the city centre hotel lodged complaints, asserting that cash they had locked in their safes had mysteriously vanished. Both guests maintained that they had locked the safes and room doors prior to leaving their accommodation. However, upon their return, their money had vanished.
Preliminary investigations conclusively ruled out any external break-ins, as there were no signs of forced entry into the rooms. This development pointed to an inside job, implicating the housekeeper who held exclusive access to the rooms through a master key and also possessed knowledge of the safe codes used by guests. Subsequently, the suspect was taken into custody and is now facing two charges of robbery.
This incident is the second case involving a hotel employee on the Costa Blanca to come to light. Recently, a receptionist from a Benidorm hotel was arrested for the alleged theft of €10,123 from a safe, having attempted to fake an alibi to deceive the authorities.
The hotel manager promptly reported the incident. However, the 37-year-old night shift employee, the prime suspect, claimed he was not on the premises at the time of the theft, claiming an urgent phone call meant he had to leave the building. According to the suspect’s account, the caller said they could see a guest in distress on a fourth-floor balcony. However, the employee said when he went to investigate, no such incident was found.
Subsequently, surveillance footage revealed a hooded figure dressed in black descending the internal staircase, going directly to the safe, and effortlessly gaining access. The contents of the safe were taken and the suspect vanished up the same staircase, beyond the view of the security cameras.
A mere three minutes later, the alleged perpetrator re-emerged, now back in his receptionist uniform. During the shift handover, he casually mentioned the quiet nature of the night, save for the strange phone call he had received.
The following morning, the shift change revealed the empty safe, prompting the day-shift receptionist to alert her superior.
Despite the disguise, the hotel manager confirmed that the suspect matched the height and movements of the night-shift employee. Consequently, he was taken into custody on charges of misappropriation.
The arrests serve as a stark reminder of the vigilance required within the hospitality industry, as both establishments grapple with the aftermath of these alleged thefts. The Policia Nacional continue to investigate both cases, seeking to ensure justice is served.