Le Figaro Nice
Significant resources were deployed Tuesday morning to arrest a young man of 23 years well known to the police and justice, near Grasse, in the Alpes-Maritimes. An individual wanted for several weeks in connection with a court case for crimes against persons. Information from Nice Matin, confirmed Wednesday in Le Figaro by the prosecutor's office.
Around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, a gendarmerie crew spotted the defendant at the wheel of a recently stolen vehicle. Immediately, the Surveillance and Intervention Platoon of the Gendarmerie (PSIG) of Gilette mobilizes to arrest the young man. If his profile is not that of a seasoned gangster, the latter is still considered dangerous and could be armed. The assault is given: it is a failure. Only one woman is in the vehicle. The suspect has already fled on foot. The operation goes up a notch while the fugitive could react in an unpredictable way.
Supported by PSIG soldiers, soldiers from several Grasse brigades positioned themselves on the roads, setting up filtering roadblocks and searching many vehicles. The helicopter of the national gendarmerie of Digne-les-Bains is even called in reinforcement to fly over several municipalities bordering the Var. "He was available at that time, we took advantage of it," explains the prosecutor. The hunt lasts like this for several hours. The gendarmes did not know that their man had seized another vehicle.
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Schools closed as a precautionary measure
At noon, the town of Peymeinade, located a few kilometers from Grasse, launches an alert on its Facebook account. It states that as a precautionary measure, "schools and public buildings will be closed until operations are completed. The entrance of college students passing the certificate will be in the presence of municipal police officers. It is better to limit your movements." The tension is palpable in the area, the ballet of gendarmerie cars is not reassuring.
Finally, around 14 p.m., the young man was arrested on the public road in the commune of Châteauneuf-Grasse. He offered no resistance and was taken to the police station. He is placed in custody in the aftermath. "He is a young man who has been followed for eight years at the Grasse prosecutor's office. He is a little marginal and spends his time wandering, "comments a source at the prosecutor's office.