Harold Padilla Betancourt (24) from Cartagena did it again. For the 27th (twenty seventh!) time in two years he ended up in jail. This time because he had stolen the purse of a woman on the street.
Padilla — Colombian record holder for having visited jail more times than any other Colombian citizen — isn’t what you’d call a hardened criminal. He just has the bad habit of always getting caught.
Last Friday he had grabbed the purse of a woman walking one of Cartagena’s colonial streets, but was caught by police only a moment after the crime, with the stolen purse still in his hand.
Other times he was in jail was for theft, swindling, the illegal possession of firearms, selling stolen property and the breach of trust.
Cartagena justice hasn’t exactly been helpful in keeping the robber and swindler off the streets. Because of procedural irregularities Padilla was able to walk out of jail a number of times already.
The same happened this time.
“Eat me. I’ll be out fast,” he shouted at the arresting officers Friday and was right. Padilla is roaming the Cartagena streets again after the city prosecution made a mistake and he was ordered to be released.