Criminal at a hardware store uses pepper spray multiple times during theft, now under police custody

A 20-year-old man is under police custody following a series of suspected thefts and assaults at hardware stores in Middle Franconia over the weekend.

The man was first spotted at a hardware store in Fürth's Fritz-Gastreich-Straße on Friday afternoon, August 22, 2025. He allegedly left the store without paying for an item and attacked a 75-year-old employee with pepper spray.

Later that day, the man targeted the hardware store in Erlangen's Neumühle. He was observed taking items without paying and later returned to attack another employee with pepper spray. Other employees and customers had to help restrain the man before he was arrested provisionally by a patrol from Erlangen-Stadt police station.

Officers found more suspected stolen goods in the man's vehicle, including items from the previous day and that morning. The stolen goods found in the vehicle are believed to be from hardware stores in Middle Franconia, suggesting that the man's criminal activities may have continued beyond the incidents in Fürth and Erlangen.

The public prosecutor's office has applied for the man to be held in custody, indicating that the man's case is being seriously considered by the legal authorities. However, the man's current legal status, such as if he has been charged or indicted, is not yet known.

The man was arrested and taken into custody after a later incident at a hardware store in Erlangen's Neumühle. The location of the vehicle's search was not specified in the article.

The application for custody implies that the man is still in police custody. The stolen goods found in the vehicle suggest that the man's criminal activities may have continued beyond the incidents in Fürth and Erlangen.

The man's criminal activities included thefts from hardware stores and attacks on employees with pepper spray. The struggle between the man and the employee during the incidents resulted in the man punching, kicking, and biting the employee.

The public is advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities. More information about the man's case is expected to be released as the investigation continues.