A notorious 74-year-old Italian fugitive and former member of the far-left militant group, the Red Brigades, has eluded house arrest in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Leonardo Bertulazzi, who was awaiting extradition to Italy for his involvement in a high-profile kidnapping case dating back to 1977, reportedly escaped by abseiling down from a fifth-floor balcony. Authorities became suspicious when they noticed that his electronic ankle monitor, which normally registers body temperature and movements, remained stationary. Upon entering the apartment, they discovered that Bertulazzi had tampered with the device to prevent the alarm from sounding after removal.
With a history of bomb-making skills and ties to the Red Brigades, who were responsible for numerous kidnappings and murders during the 1970s and '80s, police took precautions, calling in explosives experts to ensure that the ankle monitor hadn't been rigged to detonate. However, these concerns proved unfounded, as the device had merely been tampered with for evasion purposes. A nationwide manhunt is now underway in Argentina, as Bertulazzi's extradition to Italy seemed imminent following the rejection of his last appeal.
Bertulazzi was initially arrested in 2004 after crossing into Argentina from Chile with a false passport, but he was granted refugee status and lived freely until his re-arrest in 2024 under the current right-wing president, Javier Milei. The government accused Bertulazzi of perpetrating crimes that threatened democratic values and resulted in the loss of numerous lives. Notably, Bertulazzi was part of the Red Brigades' Genoa section that kidnapped Italian naval engineer Pietro Costa in 1977, held him for 81 days, and received a large ransom. This money was later used to purchase a flat in Rome, where the infamous kidnap and murder of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro occurred in 1978.
According to Argentine newspaper Clarín, Bertulazzi's escape marks a significant blow to efforts aimed at bringing him to justice for his past crimes. The ongoing manhunt signifies a trend of elusive criminals employing creative means to evade authorities, underscoring the need for innovative and adaptive law enforcement strategies in the global fight against crime.