The National Police arrested 39 people on Wednesday night as part of a special crime prevention system launched around the commercial areas most affected by DANA in Valencia. The agents claim in a press release to have recovered a multitude of stolen objects in the municipalities of Horta Sud, the most affected by the flooding of the Poyo ravine, coming from Chiva.
Residents of the villages of Paiporta, Catarroja, Alfafar and Sedaví say they witnessed acts of vandalism, such as thefts from supermarkets and some destroyed houses, on Tuesday night, after the first floods. “People took cell phones and even dragged hams,” says one of the neighbors consulted by this newspaper, who affirms that the thieves pretend that “the insurance pays.”
Some citizens decided to oppose the groups that stole equipment from businesses, but they say, devastated, that they were not listened to. Rescuers claim to have sent police reinforcements in response to acts of vandalism in certain points, such as commercial areas of the affected municipalities. For the most part, neighbors point out, acts of solidarity take place, such as residents who gave up their vehicles and equipment to remove debris or who donate clothes.
