Stolen taxi car chase leads to arrest of escaped attempted murder suspect

A 43-year-old detainee who escaped after being transferred to the Paphos hospital when he complained of feeling unwell, has been re-arrested after a car chase involving a stolen taxi on Tuesday morning in Limassol.

The incident happened around 5am in Limassol.

According to police, it was reported that a taxi was stolen from Oroklini in the Larnaca district around 4am, sparking an islandwide alert.

Half an hour later, the vehicle was spotted by a police patrol in Limassol. While he was signaled to stop, the driver accelerated and tried to escape.

The taxi was chased for about 20 minutes and was finally stopped, while a check that followed revealed that the driver was the 43-year-old who had escaped on Saturday.

Younes Amrani Boukhobza from Morocco had been arrested and remanded last week on the suspicion of intentionally hitting a 42-year-old man with his car last August in Paphos. Another man, 29, who was with the victim, was also injured. The suspect was being investigated for attempted murder.

He was transferred to the Paphos hospital in the evening after complaining he was feeling unwell, but as soon as he stepped out of the police car, he ran off still in handcuffs.

A short distance from the hospital, he allegedly stole a car belonging to a woman resident of the area, which he eventually abandoned.

The detainee is expected to be transferred later Tuesday to Paphos police headquarters.