The past week began with one successful and one failed explosion. On Monday morning, burglars blew open a safe in Reinickendorf town hall. Apparently, the town hall had no overview of the finances. Because initially it was said that the perpetrators had stolen money from the safe. The police later announced that the perpetrators fled without taking anything.
Around seven o’clock, a resident of Mariendorfer Damm saw a man with tools in his hands run out of a bank branch and get into a car. He sped off with his lights off. When the police tried to stop the Audi, the driver accelerated. He ignored a red light, drove into the oncoming lane and crashed into a traffic light pole. Police were able to arrest the passenger, the driver is still missing. According to the police, both had tried to blow up an ATM in the bank.
A watch shop was attacked on the Kudamm on Tuesday. First, a man rang the doorbell. When a saleswoman opened the door, he threatened her with a pistol. Two accomplices smashed the showcases with hammers from which they took dozens of watches. Criminals had already haunted the store a few years ago. They had smashed in the door with a car fitted with a ram. Since then there have been bollards in front of the shop.
On the night of Thursday, residents in Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte had to deal with climate protectors. They let the air out of the tires on 13 SUV cars. They stuck notes behind the windshield wipers: “Caution, she-bear alarm: flat tyre, traffic turnaround now! city for everyone! System Change not Climate Change! FCK SUV!”
Finally, on Friday, the police were able to report a success: the arrest of five men. They are said to have broken into wall toilets in around 500 cases since December to get the money. The damage is likely to be greater than the loot, police said. But a few euros here, a few euros there – something comes together.
This text appeared in the weekend edition of the Berliner Zeitung – every Saturday at the kiosk or here as a subscription.