The National Police of Alicante has taken the 'gastrojeta' to the cells again after a new arrest. He is a 50-year-old man, who dresses like a wealthy eastern tourist, and who in the last year has become a specialist in sitting at a table in good restaurants to enjoy succulent meals before faking a heart attack to avoid paying.
The 'gastrojeta' is on his twentieth arrest - and subsequent night in cell - in just one year for these small scams in establishments in the tourist area of Alicante. The last one was this Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. after tasting a seafood paella and two whiskeys at the restaurant-tapería 'El Buen Comer' on Calle Mayor, in the historic center, with an unpaid bill of 34.85 euros.
This is a Lithuanian citizen who does not speak Spanish (he does seem to understand it), according to EFE, and who was arrested for the first time in November 2022.
The 'gastrojeta' serves both lunches and dinners and even tapas, and in his history he has orders of rice and lobster or entrecôtes with the common denominator of accompanying them with various whiskeys (always 'White Label'). He normally orders a Russian salad tapa, "which he seems to like quite a bit," a National police officer who participated in four of the arrests told EFE this Wednesday.
According to this agent from the Response Operational Group of the Alicante central police station (GOR), he is wearing long gray pants, a polo shirt, trekking shoes and a vest from well-known brands.
The manager of the 'El Buen Comer' restaurant, Moisés Doménech, explained to EFE that this man arrived at his business yesterday and that he chose a table inside, where he ordered "seafood paella for one" and a whiskey, "which he drank in one gulp", before ordering another double to accompany the rice.
Without having paid the bill of 34.85 euros, "he was going to leave without paying but a colleague stopped him and told him that the bill was pending", to which the 'gastrojeta' replied without getting upset that he was going to go to the hotel to pick up the money.
When they refused to allow him to leave without paying the bill, the Lithuanian threw himself on the ground very close to the street door and ostensibly pretended to be unwell, but from 'El Buen Comer' they did not fall into the trap and called the Police. Shortly after, the 'gastrojeta' asked the agents for an ambulance but he was quickly recognized by them.
Doménech has taken several photos of the 'gastrojeta' and has passed them on to other restaurants of the Provincial Hospitality Association (APEHA) so that he does not do his thing again in the near future.
The 'gastrojeta' is scheduled to have a quick trial this Thursday at 10:45 a.m. in the city's Investigative Court number 1 for a minor crime of fraud.
