Romanian Tourist Arrested in Italy Due to Name Similarity

A 30-year-old Romanian tourist, Ovidiu A., was arrested in Italy due to having the same name as a wanted person for theft. The tourist from Iasi, Romania, was arrested on the first day of his vacation in Caorle, near Venice.

The Carabinieri arrested him after his name, registered at the hotel, triggered an alert. His lawyer, Stefano De Rosa, struggled to prove the confusion, as the wanted man had been convicted in 2020 for a theft dating back to 2014.

Ovidiu A. was released after almost a month in the Pordenone prison. According to Corriere del Veneto, he is expected to stay in Italy to continue his vacation.

His lawyer explained that the computer systems of the police, Carabinieri, court, and prison are not connected, which delayed his release.