Perhaps, with the passage of time, they thought they had escaped the clutches of the police and justice? On Wednesday, nearly three months after the facts, nine alleged rioters were arrested and placed in custody as part of preliminary investigations conducted under the authority of the Meaux prosecutor's office. These six adults and three minors are suspected of facts qualified as damage to property, armed participation in a gathering and aggravated robbery, in Meaux, on June 28 and 29.
"The facts in question were committed in the town of Meaux, in particular within the walls of the shopping center called "de la Verrière" and the Leclerc shopping center, says in a statement Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the prosecutor of the Republic of Meaux. These arrests were made possible thanks to the meticulous work of investigators from the Meaux police station who used video surveillance recordings as well as traces and clues revealed as part of "technical and scientific police" operations.
Suspects aged 17 to 24
This Thursday, the custody of the suspects, aged between 17 and 24, was extended until Friday morning. Of the six adults, three are expected to be tried in an immediate court appearance. Two of them reportedly admitted the facts. The other three, who have admitted involvement, are to be tried as part of the guilty plea. As for the three minors, aged 17, at least two of them should be brought before the court.
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One can imagine that this raid is greeted with relief by the victims of this outbreak of violence, which occurred after the death of the young Nahel in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine). Nevertheless, contacted this Thursday, the association of traders of La Verrière did not want to speak. In Meaux, it is especially in this shopping center of the popular Beauval district that the main scenes of looting took place. Among the victims are Darty, Leclerc, a mobile phone store, the Post Office and the PMU. The Marché Frais supermarket was also set on fire in three different locations.
"There were hundreds of them. It was full of people. The crowd was huge," Mustapha, a local resident, said at the time. On June 30, Jean-François Copé (LR), the mayor, came to crisscross the neighborhood, castigating these "lamentable" acts. "What do parents do? We have identified them on video surveillance. They're 14-year-old kids! ", pestered the chosen one. Obviously, in view of Wednesday's arrests, some were also adults.
