A major police response was triggered in Lamia on Saturday afternoon (7 March 2026) after a young Roma man stole two mobile phones — one belonging to a woman and another to her child — in broad daylight at Freedom Square.
The incident unfolded in the busy central square, where the woman was sitting with a friend at a café. According to LamiaReport, she suddenly saw the suspect grab both phones from their table. She immediately reacted and gave chase.
The suspect fled toward a green Hyundai parked nearby on Sklivanioti Street, where at least two accomplices were waiting. As he entered the vehicle, the woman managed to reach the open driver’s door and attempted to grab the suspect, who was seated in the front passenger seat, in an effort to stop them.
In their attempt to escape, the suspects struck and shoved her hands away. To distract her, they threw one of the phones toward her. Still with the driver’s door ajar, the car sped off — striking two parked vehicles on Sklivanioti Street before dragging the woman partway inside the moving vehicle. She was pulled several metres before falling onto the road, sustaining injuries to her knee, hand, and neck.
High-Speed Pursuit Ends Near Kamelovrysi
An Immediate Response Unit patrol spotted the car in Galaneika, northern Lamia, and signalled it to stop. Instead, the driver performed dangerous maneuvers at high speed and fled toward the old national highway connecting Lamia to Larissa.
Throughout the pursuit, the driver continued weaving across lanes, ignoring oncoming traffic and driving recklessly along the full width of the road. The vehicle eventually entered the Kamelovrysi settlement, where the occupants abandoned it in nearby fields and vanished into the darkness.
The victim reportedly identified one of the suspects — a 25-year-old Roma man previously known to authorities and the registered owner of the Hyundai. He was not, however, the driver during the initial theft at Freedom Square.
With numerous eyewitnesses present, the woman has urgently appealed for anyone with information — especially those who can help identify the other suspects — to contact either her directly (contact details available via LamiaReport) or local police. Authorities say the group has repeatedly disrupted public order in Lamia.
The stolen item in this case is a brand-new Xiaomi Redmi 15C. It remains unclear whether the suspects kept the device or attempted to dispose of it.
Prosecutors have filed charges for simple theft, with additional counts of disobedience — stemming from the suspects’ refusal to stop when ordered by police.