A 50-year-old man was bizarrely detained by police after he feigned to have a serious medical problem in order to avoid paying the restaurant bill in Alicante, Spain. Aidas, a Lithuanian, used to make up fake heart attacks to get out of paying the check at whatever restaurant he went to. According to The Sun, he used the same ruse at roughly 20 other eateries, the majority of which were situated in Costa Blanca.
Aidas was dining at the El Buen Comer, when he was presented with a bill of 34.85 euros (approx Rs 3,000), for his order of a seafood paella and two whiskey. On seeing the bill he attempted to leave without paying, but the restaurant staff confronted him and reminded him to pay the bill. Soon the man resorted to the old tactics of throwing himself onto the ground and faking a heart attack. He even requested for an ambulance. However, the staff called the police instead.
When the cops arrived, they recognised the man from run-ins at other restaurants in Alicante and arrested him.
“It was very theatrical, he pretended to faint and slumped himself down on the floor. We have sent his photo around to all the restaurants to try and stop him from striking again,” the manager of El Buen Comer, Moises Domenech told the media outlet.
El Buen Comer and Sale&Pepe in Alicante were his usual targets.
A Lithuanian citizen with no known address and limited knowledge of the Spanish language, Aidas has been visiting Alicante since November 2022 when he was initially arrested for similar practices.
Several restaurant owners are planning to collective file a complaint against Aidas, whihc may lead to a two year sentence for him.
