Ludwigslust (dpa/mv) – Three witnesses arrested a violent trouser thief in Ludwigslust and handed it over to the police. Previously, two of the witnesses had been hit so badly by the thief that they were injured and the man ran away, a police spokesman said on Tuesday. Together with a third man and a load of pepper spray, the man was caught shortly afterwards and handed over to the alarmed officials. In his backpack, the police found not only the pants, but also two knives, which were confiscated, it was said.

According to the information, it is a 39-year-old man who is said to have put his trousers in his backpack in a shopping center on Monday. He was observed doing this. When a cashier approached the man and tried to hold him, he broke free. Coincidentally, however, two men had an information stand for an aid organization in the market. They intervened and wanted to hold the man.