Manhunt continues for fugitives

Police in the prefecture of Fokida, western Greece, were yesterday continuing their search for five armed men who are suspected of hiding in the mountains of Nafpaktos. Three of the five suspects are fugitives from a prison in Trikala, central Greece, and the other two are believed to have helped them escape in early March during a violent attack on the facility. The gang of five, all Albanian nationals, are believed to have caused the death of a female motorist caught in the crossfire during a shootout with police outside Corinth in March and to have shot dead a policeman near the village of Distomo in the prefecture of Viotia last week as they eluded capture at a roadblock. They are also suspected of being behind a string of armed robberies.

Animal cruelty.

A man in Pyrgos, in the Peloponnese, is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly chaining his dog to the back of his car and dragging the animal as he drove. The incident on Saturday evening was reported by two witnesses who blocked his way with their vehicle. The suspect, who has not been identified by police, reportedly told the two that he was punishing his dog for getting into a fight with two other dogs. When one of the witnesses tried to release the animal from the chain, he struck her before fleeing the scene with the dog.

Bike theft.

Police have arrested two men from Georgia for allegedly stealing dozens of bicycles in Maroussi, northern Athens, which they then sold in their homeland. Both suspects, aged 33 and 53, are charged with stealing at least 65 bikes over the past few months. Police arrested the 33-yearold on Saturday as he was attempting to jack a bike. They arrested his 53 year-old flatmate a few hours later.

ND office blast.

Police on Sunday said they were investigating a minor blast at the entrance of the New Democracy party branch in Neos Cosmos, southwestern Athens. No one was injured in the explosion, which caused damage to the entrance of the building and a car which was parked nearby. Police said witnesses saw unidentified suspects throw a homemade explosive before fleeing the scene.

Fatal accidents.

A 41-year-old woman, her 16-year-old daughter and three of the girl’s school friends died in the early hours of Saturday in the northern Athens suburb of Aghios Stefanos after the woman lost control of her vehicle and crashed. Rescue workers called to the scene found that the car had veered out of control and tipped over after crashing into a parked car and then a wall. The four teenage girls, who had been at a party, and the mother of one of the girls who was driving them home all died instantly. Meanwhile police on Sunday arrested an 81-year-old man suspected of running over a 76-year-old man in Pieria, northern Greece, late on Saturday. The driver abandoned the victim, who later died from his injuries, but later turned himself in to police. He was scheduled to face a prosecutor.