[News] Lionel Messi’s relative ‘robbed of $22k after armed robbers attacked vehicle transporting money from his family supermarket in Argentina’

A vehicle carrying money from Antonela Roccuzzo’s family’s supermarket in downtown Rosario was attacked by armed robbers in Argentina. 

 

 

The thieves made off with around eight million Argentinian pesos, equivalent to around $22,500.

 

 

The female relative of Antonela Roccuzzo, 23-year-old Agustina Scalia, was transporting over £18,000 in Argentinian pesos from the family supermarket, in Lavelle, near the centre of Rosario, to a nearby bank when they got robbed on Wednesday morning. 

 

 

According to the report, the robbery was “swift and violent”. The criminals got out of their car and broke one of the windows of the money-carrying vehicle.

 

 

Antonela Roccuzzo‘s cousin and two of her supermarket employees were travelling in the vehicle carrying the money. 

 

 

“We were going from the supermarket to the bank to deposit the money,” a colleague told the media. “They broke our windows and took our bags.

 

 

“There was a car for sure, because I saw them get into one. At the moment when everything started, all I heard were gunshots. When we got out we saw the bullet hole.”

 

 

According to the employee, the supermarket manager tried to speed up to avoid being robbed, but she was unable to do so because there was another car in front of her.

 

 

As she explained, this way of transporting the money is not common: “It’s not something we always do. We leave the money in the bank and come back.”

 

 

Police are still investigating the robbery, and told local media that they have not ruled out that a second vehicle was involved. 

 

 

Police chief Diego Santamaria, revealing details of the hold-up this morning, said: ‘The two people targeted were leaving the supermarket and heading to a nearby bank.

 

 

‘They were intercepted by a white car whose occupants broke their window and took rucksacks with a large amount of money, approximately eight million Argentine pesos according to the victims.

 

‘At least one car participated in the crime. The shot occurred apparently when the vehicle tried to speed away from the scene.

‘There are cameras in the area.’

 

A doctor who assisted the victims of the robbery told local media: ‘They have slight abrasions and high blood pressure but otherwise they’re okay.’