A disabled man with one leg has been arrested after stealing a single sneaker that was on display in a shop.
Putting only one shoe of an expensive pair on display is a common ploy in shoe stores as it is believed nobody would steal just one shoe, but they had reckoned without the one-legged man.
However, he was quickly caught as he first of all had to put the shoe on, and then make a getaway which with one leg was not fast enough to escape police who were alerted by the store owner.
The 27-year-old thief, whose name has not been revealed by the authorities in the city of Mar del Plata, in eastern Argentina, was interrogated after being seized by cops and put into custody.
He had reportedly only just started to make his escape from the sneakers store in the city’s popular San Martin pedestrian area when he was promptly caught again on 22nd October. The man was accompanied by a 33-year-old pal.
The store had left the lone left shoe of the pair of grey Head tennis shoes prominently on display in the window and had not believed that someone would try and steal it as the right shoe was not on display.
The shop manager called the police immediately after the incident, and officers on duty in the busy shopping quarter were informed about the occurrence and managed to identify and detain the man.
Footage from a surveillance camera at the store confirmed that he had stolen the shoe.
The suspect has previously been sentenced for numerous crimes including robbery and theft, say local media.
In one photo, he can be seen wearing a grey and black football jersey and olive green tracksuit pants as he stands between two officers at a police station.
The man remains in custody, according to prosecutor Gaston de Marco.
It is unclear whether his friend is considered an accomplice in the attempted shoe theft.
There has been no confirmed information on when and how the main suspect had lost his right leg.
The investigation continues.
