Teenager and accomplice caught after cell phone store heist in Paraguay

A swift police operation in Villarrica, Paraguay, led to the capture of two individuals suspected of robbing a high-end cell phone store. The arrests followed an intense pursuit and a widespread search operation in the Guairá department. The apprehended suspects have been identified as a 16-year-old minor and 20-year-old Marcos Antonio Samudio Chamorro, who hails from San Juan Nepomuceno in the Caazapá department.

The robbery occurred around 9 a.m. at the "Servicell" store, located in the heart of Villarrica. According to police reports, three armed and masked men stormed the establishment, threatening employees with firearms, including a long gun. The assailants quickly broke into display cases, stealing approximately 20 high-end cell phones valued at around 200 million Paraguayan guaranis (approximately $27,000 USD). Employees reported that the robbers acted with extreme speed and even threatened an employee who initially hesitated to open the display cases.

Following the theft, the perpetrators fled in a blue Toyota Allion, a vehicle that had been reported stolen days earlier in Asunción. Police deployed a search operation across several routes and rural roads in the region. Hours later, officers located the abandoned car in the Yhakamí area of Borja district. Evidence suggests the occupants fled the vehicle and disappeared into a wooded area to evade capture. More than 50 police motorcycles were involved in the subsequent cordon and search operations in the rural sectors.