Kiosk owner attacked with crowbar

Jacqueline Theodoulou
THE OWNER of late-night kiosk Dracumel in Strovolos sustained serious head injuries on Wednesday night when balaclava-clad thieves beat him with a crowbar and tied him up, before disappearing with his day’s earnings.

Police are now in search of the two criminals, while owner Leonidas Arestis, 52, remains in Nicosia General Hospital for treatment. Doctors said yesterday that his injuries were serious, but not critical.

“Two persons entered the shop and hit the owner with a crowbar, and after tying him up with tape and other things they found in the shop, they took around £2,000,” the Deputy Police Chief in Nicosia confirmed yesterday. “The man managed to free himself about an hour later and called the police.”

The robbery took place at around 3am, as Arestis was preparing to close up for the night. The thieves entered from a back window and attacked him with a crow bar, injuring him on the head and face.

According to initial police investigations, a struggle must have ensued as there was blood everywhere.

The two men then tied up the unconscious Arestis and made away with around £2,000.
He didn’t come around until 4am, when he managed to untie himself and contact his family and the police.

At the time of the crime, the shop’s alarm system wasn’t activated, which was why surrounding neighbours were unaware of what was taking place.
The victim was yesterday unable to give police an official report on the incident, though he did inform them that the thieves had remained silent throughout his ordeal, making it difficult to determine whether they were Cypriot or not.

Police immediately cordoned off the scene, while evidence was taken for scientific examination to assist investigations.

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