Sinterklaas and a Piet stopped a shoplifter in an Almelo DIY shop

Sinterklaas and a Piet stopped a shoplifter in Almelo on Sunday afternoon. The man tried to wiggle free, but Piet kept him in a headlock until the police arrived, RTV Oost reports.

The suspect set off the gate alarm when he left the Praxis hardware store on the Woonboulevard with two bags he did not pay for. He took off running, followed by Praxis staff.

At the same time, Sinterklaas and Piet were on the square with some children. Sinterklaas, an enforcement officer in Borne in his spare time, and Piet immediately set off after the shoplifter when they saw them running by.

The perpetrator fled into the Beter Bed branch and tried to hide. But Sinterklaas and Piet quickly tracked him down. The man again tried to escape, but Piet overpowered him and held him in a headlock until the police arrived.

According to the broadcaster, the man had tried to steal two saws worth just under 400 euros. The 34-year-old man from Almelo is in custody pending further investigation, a police spokesperson said.