A Slovak fugitive was arrested after 16 years on the run — at the Winter Olympics. The 44-year-old man, whose name was not released, had traveled to Milan to cheer on Slovakia’s national ice hockey team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Instead, he was taken into custody.
The man was wanted by Italian authorities for a series of thefts committed in 2010. Italy’s Carabinieri police located and arrested him Wednesday after he checked into a campsite on the outskirts of Milan. The arrest was triggered by an automatic alert sent from the campsite’s reception desk.
Slovak players celebrate their win over Italy
(Photo: Darko Bandic - Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo: IMAGN IMAGES via REUTERS/Katie Stratman)
Police said he was transferred to San Vittore prison in the northern Italian city to serve an 11-month sentence previously imposed on him.
As a result, he missed Slovakia’s opening game, a 4-1 victory over Finland. The Slovaks also won their second group-stage match Friday, defeating host Italy 3-2.
The two victories secured Slovakia’s place in the quarterfinals, keeping alive its hopes of winning a second consecutive medal after taking bronze in Beijing in 2022. If that happens, the fugitive will have to follow the achievement from prison rather than from the stands.