A 46-year-old neighbor has been breaking into homes for a year in search of alcohol, and the only one to report the cases to the police is Ivana Moslavac. The burglar's mother claims not all accusations are true and hopes the court will order treatment for her son.
Residents of Starogradački Marof, a settlement in the Pitomača area, have been living in fear for a year due to repeated break-ins at their homes. The target is always the same, alcoholic beverages, and the perpetrator is well known to them. It is a 46-year-old neighbor, an alcohol addict, who enters other people's yards and houses in search of a drink.
Ivana Moslavac is the only one who decided to report the entire case to the police. Her neighbor broke into the houses she inherited as many as seven times, and each time wine, brandy, and various liqueurs went missing. However, what worries her most is the material damage that occurs in the process.
"Each time, wine, brandy, and various liqueurs went missing, but what bothers me the most is actually the damage done to the doors when he breaks into the house. I reported everything to the police, and a court proceeding was initiated against the neighbor, with a trial scheduled. Unfortunately, that didn't stop him. Recently, he broke into my yard again. I also have video footage that clearly shows him entering and leaving the yard, and he can be recognized," Ivana Moslavac told Podravski list.
Ivana adds that other residents also complain about the same person, but they live in fear and no longer feel safe in their own homes. Two residents confirmed that they caught the 46-year-old in their basements and storage rooms, but they did not report the cases to the police and wish to remain anonymous.
"I'm afraid that one day he might harm me, my family, or another resident over a bottle or a liter of alcohol. No one should have to live in fear in their own home, and it's high time something was done. His mother is aware of what he's doing, but she constantly defends him, so that doesn't help either. Our last hope is that going public will help us live without fear," says Ivana Moslavac.
Attempts to contact the accused 46-year-old were unsuccessful as he was unavailable. His mother, Ana, does not dispute that her son is an alcoholic, but she points out that not all the neighbors' claims are accurate. Through tears, she recounted how some residents, despite her pleas, gave him alcohol and encouraged his addiction.
"Some neighbors gave him alcohol, even though I personally begged them not to and not to encourage his alcoholism. The late owner of the property he allegedly broke into seven times, according to police reports, was one of those who gave him alcohol and told me to leave him alone, saying he could drink there even after he died. Maybe that's why he most often goes to that property," Ana told Podravski list.
Ana adds that her son often stays away from home for several days and refuses to agree to alcohol treatment. She has been trying to persuade him to go to a therapeutic community for some time, aware that it's the only way for him to recover. Although she does not deny that the break-ins happen, she claims that some residents make things up to harm him.
"I can responsibly say that he wouldn't harm anyone even when drunk. There are residents who might make up that he entered their house and stole drinks, but I don't deny that such situations can happen. If they had listened to me when I told them not to give him alcohol, he probably wouldn't be going around houses looking for drinks now. For the thefts he's been reported for, he faces a trial, and what I want most is for him to be ordered to undergo alcohol treatment. I think that's the only way for him to get away from drinking and live normally again. I know he's causing harm to people, and that, along with the fact that he's often drunk, brings me great sorrow and pain. He's my son, and like any mother, I want what's best for my child, and in this case, that's going to alcohol treatment," Ana concluded.
