Unlucky Fugitive on the Run: Tip Thief Stumbles onto Former Prosecutor's Table

Chase in Palma Ends with Unusual Fall

On Tuesday morning around 11:00 a.m., as the street cafés on the Passeig del Born were gradually filling up, a chase across the old town took an absurd turn, as reported in a Spanish report on the tip-bowl thief's tumble. A man apparently reached into a tip bowl at one of the city's best-known bars, was noticed and ran off. His flight ended a few minutes later — in the middle of a café on Carrer de Conqueridor.

"He jumped over the table"

Guests say a waiter discovered the theft and immediately chased after the man. Eyewitnesses described short, hectic scenes, as reflected in a German report on the tip-bowl thief's stumble: the fleeing man tried to shake off his pursuers but stumbled over a breakfast table at the nearby café. Sitting at that table by chance was Tomeu Barceló, who formerly served as a chief prosecutor. His coffee ended up on his clothing — much to the annoyance of the man involved and the amusement of some onlookers.

"You could really hear it: a crash, coffee cups rattling," said a woman who was just eating her roll. A young waiter in a blue shirt sprinted after him immediately. The scene lasted only a few seconds but felt much longer, added a regular customer.

Who is the perpetrator?

Witnesses described the man as of medium height, slim. Some said they recognized him from the area; there are repeatedly cases in Palma where the same people are noticed in cafés. Whether the police later caught the man was still unclear at the time of the reports. If not, he will likely want to avoid the street around Bar Bosch for the next few weeks.

The café filed a complaint, and staff and guests recorded their statements. In such cases quick memory often counts: clothing, footwear, direction of flight — everything can help. The town is small and distances are short; often a few minutes are enough for tips to lead to successful searches, as in a report on a police pursuit in Llucmajor.

Small town, big stories

You rarely see something like this: a theft in the morning, a spontaneous chase and an abrupt end on a breakfast table. For those involved it was certainly unpleasant — for passersby on the Passeig del Born it became a topic of conversation they will tell for a long time. Palma shows itself again in its messy, very real side: tourists, locals, coffee and sometimes chaos.

The moral of the story? Not every running route is made for speed between tables and chairs. And a spilled coffee can happen to a former prosecutor just as easily as to any of us.