After a brutal home burglary in the St. Pölten district, a Bulgarian gang was identified. The perpetrators tied up a 76-year-old woman and buried her under clothes and curtains; the woman had to wait 20 hours before she could be rescued. The trio is accused of attempted murder.
A 76-year-old will probably never forget the torturous hours for the rest of her life. After a brutal robbery, the pensioner was forced to stay within her own four walls out of fear for her life, not knowing whether she would survive the ordeal. Masked people broke into their home in Untertullnerbach in the St. Pölten district at around 9:30 p.m. on February 23. They gained access through the patio door on the upper floor before storming into the living rooms. However, they were caught red-handed by the pensioner.
Then everything happened at breakneck speed: visibly surprised, the criminals pushed the elderly woman violently to the ground. They tied the victim up with a telephone cable and also wrapped her head in cloths and curtains. Tied up so violently, the perpetrators simply dumped the 76-year-old in the living room.
The perpetrators then spent an hour searching every inch for cash and valuables. They also tore a safe that had been used as a gun safe from its wall anchoring and broke it open. They stole cash, gold coins and jewelry worth approximately 50,000 euros and fled. They left the 76-year-old behind without a care in the world.
It’s a miracle the woman survived
It was not until more than twenty hours later that the pensioner was discovered by an acquaintance and freed from her ordeal. As a result of the brutal attack, the woman suffered numerous serious injuries to her arms and legs – as a result of the very severe restraints – and, as a result of the shock and excitement, cardiac disturbances, which the medical expert classified as “particularly serious and disturbing”.
“It is a miracle that no amputations were necessary because of the severe injuries to the hands and feet,” said the head of the state criminal investigation department, Stefan Pfandler. The psychological pain will probably never go away.
During the manhunt, investigators from the State Criminal Investigation Department, together with authorities from Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary, quickly managed to track down three perpetrators. The three Bulgarians, aged 35, 39 and 40, with previous convictions, are said to have numerous crimes on their criminal records, both in their home country and in other European countries.
During the attack in Untertullnerbach, two perpetrators committed the burglary and the third drove the getaway car. The head of the gang – the 39-year-old – is still on the run. He has 28 previous convictions for attempted murder, robbery or theft. It was also proven that the Bulgarian had committed a burglary in Baden in early February, during which he managed to steal jewelry and brand watches worth 200,000 euros.
Main perpetrator still at large
The three accomplices have already been extradited to Austria and have not confessed to the charges. The search for the 39-year-old main perpetrator is still in full swing.
After a series of brutal house burglaries – for example in Hinterbrühl, Würnitz and Stripfing – the investigators were able to deal another blow to an internationally active group of perpetrators. Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner praised the international networks. Thanks to the personnel offensive, 50 new employees will be working at the Lower Austrian State Criminal Police as part of the reform.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
