Police arrested a man in flagrant offence after he allegedly snatched a phone from an elderly couple in Mestre, in Corso del Popolo. According to police, the suspect was part of a two-person group that targeted the pair as they withdrew cash at a bank. The offender then grabbed the phone during the short walk to the car. Officers say the escape was stopped thanks to a quick intervention by another customer at the bank. The passerby blocked the suspect until a police patrol arrived. The arrested man was also found to have numerous previous police records for crimes against property and for drug dealing. His accomplice managed to flee before officers took him into custody. The man was arrested on the spot and accused of aggravated theft by snatching, committed in concert with others, police said.