Police believe attempted robbery of Valentino Garavani's villa was premeditated and helped by someone on the inside

 ROME - Police have reached a breakthrough in the investigation into the attempted, but unsuccessful robbery at the home of world-famous Italian designer, Valentino Garavani, on the evening of July 7, reports Il Messaggero. The team consisted of two thieves, one Italian, born in 1991, with a glass eye, and an inside man who allowed them access to the luxurious villa of Valentino Garavani by staging a surprise break-in.

 The police’s Mobile Squad has partially reconstructed the events of that evening, and based on various findings, it appears the security guard, who later removed himself from duty, may have played an active role in organizing the robbery. In preliminary investigations, it seemed that the guard had, in fact, scared off the two criminals. Footage showed him firing shots into the air to frighten the two men, who had breached a section of the fence to enter the villa’s garden on Via Appia Antica.

 Garavani was at home at the time with some staff, but by the time they came outside, the two thieves had vanished. They had fled in the same car they arrived in, a Fiat Panda. The villa's external surveillance system captured both their arrival, a few minutes before 7 p.m., and their escape. It also showed the guard spotting the intruders and approaching them with his gun drawn, eventually firing into the air and forcing them to retreat the way they came.

 Various hypotheses have been considered to explain what has been reconstructed during the investigation, though they do not fully align with the sequence captured by the surveillance system.

 One of the main and most credible hypotheses at the moment is this: the heist had been planned for some time, but was supposed to take place when the villa was empty, or at least as empty as could be achieved. It’s possible that a sudden change in the designer’s plans that evening, which also took the guard by surprise, prevented him from warning the thieves in time. He saw them entering the villa but, realizing it was occupied, was then forced to scare them off.

 In this scenario, the simplest and most immediate way out was to create the version of events later confirmed by the cameras. However, according to what the Mobile Squad has reconstructed, this may differ from reality.

 At present, no arrests or detainments have been made. The investigation is ongoing, also to identify the second thief, but the evidence and clues gathered so far suggest the case might be wrapped up soon.

rs