Shoplifting in the Hotel Zone, but He Got Away After Paying for the Merchandise
He thought it would be easy. Erwin’l B. G., a 36-year-old Cuban who works as a rideshare driver, believed he could get past security at the exclusive La Isla shopping mall in Cancún.
The man used an old-school tactic: he hid two garments under his shirt and attempted to walk out of the Zara store as if nothing had happened. The stolen merchandise was worth 1,100 pesos.
However, security guards caught him in the act. Up to that point, everything seemed like the typical ending for a shoplifter who ends up in police custody. Police arrived, recovered the merchandise — a white shirt and a brown shirt — and then came the twist that has caused outrage on social media.
Instead of pursuing legal action, Zara representatives offered him the option to “pay for the garments” right there. The man took out his wallet and handed over the money, while the store representatives refused to file a theft complaint, stating that “it was not their wish to proceed.”
In the end, the man was not even formally charged with theft. He was only taken before the Civic Judge for causing a disturbance, on charges of disobedience and resistance. Everything was recorded on video.
