Man Arrested For Faking 20 Heart Attacks To Get Out Of Dinner Bill
A 50-year-old man from Lithuania was arrested recently over in Spain after he had apparently been caught after a string of fake heart attacks to make sure he didn't have to pay for his dinner.
The man, who was identified as Aidas J. but who has locally become known by the name "Gastrojeta" has used his scam at least 20 times over the past year at different restaurants around Alicante according to the Spanish newspaper.
Most recently, the guy ordered two whiskeys and a seafood paella at the El Buen Comer restaurant-tapería in late September and had a bill of 34.85 euros, the newspapers reported.
The man attempted to leave without paying, but restaurant staff stopped him and let him know that he still needed to pay for his meal, El Buen Comer's manager, Moisés Doménech, told a local outlet.
The scammer became visibly upset and said he would go get the money from his hotel room and come back, but the staff refused to let him leave without paying.
That's when the man dramatically threw himself on the ground and pretended to have a heart attack.
Not fooled, the staff called the police instead of an ambulance, and the local authorities recognized the man as "Gastrojeta."
Apparently, a picture of the guy had been shared among many area restaurants to try and stop him from striking again, according to the local news outlet.
According to a spokesperson with the Alicante National Police, the man is a repeat offender.
"He was arrested multiple times in the city of Alicante. The modus operandi was the same," the spokesperson told Insider.
Read more at KTVU