Police are hunting for a man who, dressed like a Christmas tree, slashed the tires of 21 vehicles belonging to a meat warehouse in the village of Warzymice in northwest Poland. CCTV footage of the spruced-up villain has been released in the hope of identifying him.
A representative of the firm that owns the warehouse, Mateusz Watral, told TVN24 that the man was recorded loitering near the premises and then covering himself in a makeshift disguise with branches taken from nearby trees.
After 1 a.m. he cut a hole in the fence, entered the premises, and began to puncture the tires of minibuses and cars, said Watral.
“In my opinion, this was more of a guerilla [action] than a well-prepared operation,” said Watral. “Along the way he lost his ‘camouflage’, branches were scattered everywhere.”
The company, Madar, estimates that the fir-petrator caused 50,000 to 60,000 zloty (€10,660-12,790) worth of damage. It is offering a 5,000 zloty reward to anyone who helps find him.
The firm believes that the man donned his unusual disguise because he was aware there were cameras on the premises. But they hope that, by releasing the footage, someone may “recognise him by the way he moves”, Watral told Radio Szczecin.
Police in the nearby town of Police confirmed to the Polish press Agency (PAP) that the crime had been reported to them and that they had secured evidence from the scene. Watral notes that the man left footprints from military-style boots and also traces of blood after apparently wounding himself.
Main image credit: YouTube (screenshot)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
