A fugitive wanted for a violent robbery in Germany has been caught after being chased through the streets of the City of London.
A plain-clothed police officer spotted Ionut Bratianu, 37, acting suspiciously outside a bar in Gracechurch Street at around 8pm on July 4.
The officer suspected the man was a distraction thief after seeing him folding away a piece of paper. This is a known tactic by thieves who place the paper on top of the victim’s phone on a table to distract them - before stealing it.
The officer, Inspector Dan Green of City of London Police, also noticed a car linked to thefts in the area, and so approached the man, only for Bratianu to attempt to escape.
Inspector Green said: “When I managed to get hold of him and I identified myself as a police officer, he then very quickly pushed me away and ran off.
“It was then a chase down Lime Street and into Leadenhall Market, where the suspect began to tire and slow down.
“I was on my own and I drew my baton as I wasn’t sure if this man was going to be violent as he already pushed me away once.
“I shouted at him to get on the ground, to which he complied. I then cuffed him and waited for backup to arrive.”
Bratianu, 37, also known as Ionut Mihai, was arrested for going equipped to steal and for theft. He was also found to be linked to other thefts in the City.
Officers then discovered that there was an international arrest warrant for him for the violent robbery of a woman at a coffee shop in Germany in 2020. He had been sentenced to three years in prison for that offence,
He was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison for theft in the City.
Extradition proceedings are currently ongoing, after which time he will serve his prison sentence in Germany.
