Serial thief arrested in Novi Sad for snatching gold necklaces
Novi Sad police arrested D. Z. (born 1999) from Zablje, suspected of intercepting elderly women for two months and tearing gold necklaces from their necks.
- The Novi Sad Police Directorate arrested D. Z. (born 1999) from Zablje on suspicion of committing several aggravated thefts.
- He is accused of intercepting elderly women in Novi Sad for two months and tearing gold necklaces from their necks.
- Police cleared four aggravated thefts, one of which remained an attempt.
- He was ordered held for up to 48 hours before being handed over to the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad.
Officers of the Novi Sad Police Directorate arrested D. Z. (born 1999) from Zablje on suspicion of committing several aggravated thefts in the city over the past two months. According to a statement from the Interior Ministry, he approached elderly women in Novi Sad on the street and tore gold necklaces from their necks.
Police say the arrest cleared four aggravated thefts, one of which remained an attempt. The suspect was ordered held for up to 48 hours, after which he will be brought before the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad together with a criminal complaint.
How the string of thefts unfolded
The first thefts, according to the established course of the investigation, began in April this year. The suspect is believed to have singled out elderly women who were alone on the street, approached them and abruptly snatched the chain from around their necks. Police classify that method of execution as aggravated theft.
Over two months, in the Novi Sad area, three aggravated thefts and one attempt were carried out in the same way. The timeline of the case looks like this:
- April 2026: the string begins; the first victims are elderly Novi Sad women whose gold jewellery was abruptly torn off.
- April and May 2026: over two months, three aggravated thefts and one attempted aggravated theft are committed.
- 5 June 2026: the Novi Sad Police Directorate arrests the suspect and files a criminal complaint with the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad.
The suspect is accused of intercepting elderly Novi Sad women over the past two months and tearing gold necklaces from their necks, the Interior Ministry said.
What happens after the detention?
The 48-hour hold is a measure by which police secure the suspect’s presence until the case is handed to the prosecution. Once that period expires, the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad decides on the further course of the proceedings, including a possible motion to order pre-trial custody.
Until a final verdict, D. Z. is presumed innocent. At this stage this is a suspicion that the prosecution must still support with evidence before a court. Police urged residents, especially older citizens, to stay alert and to report any similar incident immediately.
Will the detention turn into a motion for custody, a decision the prosecution is set to make in the coming days?
