Man who faked heart attack to avoid paying bills at 20 restaurants was finally caught for 'his theatrics'

A serial dine and dasher in Spain was finally caught after trying to fool a restaurant. The 50-year-old Lithuanian man had a history of faking heart attacks to avoid paying the bill. Aidas J was caught in Alicante as he attempted to leave the restaurant without settling the bill and pretending to be unwell. It was his 20th attempt when he was arrested, but he still managed to dupe the system.

How he dodged the bill

Aidas lived in Alicante, Spain. By the time he was arrested in 2023, he had scammed 20 eateries in the area by refusing to pay the bill. According to Spain’s EFE news agency, he would often dramatically clutch his chest and fall on the floor to escape the bill. As per his modus operandi, he would order multiple items on the menu before putting on a stellar performance.

On his 20th attempt, the conman was dressed in designerwear and started with a Russian Salad, along with multiple glasses of whiskey, which was his usual, as per the news outlet. For the main course, he ordered entrecote or lobster, followed by more whiskey. After the hearty meal, he was presented with a bill of $36.75.

At first, Aidan tried to sneak out of the restaurant. However, the restaurant's manager Moisés Doménech, told EFE that a colleague noticed him attempting to dine and dash and caught him. The conman then made the excuse that he had forgotten his wallet and had to go to his hotel room to retrieve it. 

However, the restaurant staff did not let him leave until he paid up. This is when the performance began. The manager described that the man dramatically threw himself to the ground and pretended to have a heart attack.

Doménech told the Sun US, “It was very theatrical, he pretended to faint and slumped himself down on the floor.” Despite his convincing act, the restaurant staff was not phased and they immediately called the police.

When the police arrived the officers immediately recognised the man. The Alicante National Police spokesperson confirmed to the Spanish news outlet that the man was indeed a repeat offender. The official added that he was arrested multiple times in Alicante and his modus operandi was the same in all incidents. 

Playing both restaurants and the system

One of the officers who previously arrested Aidas said that he always smiles after seeing the police as he doesn't care about spending a few days in jail before his short trial in front of a judge. “He sees himself unpunished,” he says EFE news agency.

This is because since only a small amount of money was involved in each incident, they were considered "minor crimes". Thus, the man knew he would get off easy despite being arrested. After this incident, he was jailed for 42 days as he refused to pay two fines, The Sun reported.

However, restaurant owners had understood that the man was playing the system. Apart from sharing his image with a warning, owners at the time were also planning to file a joint complaint to possibly lock the man behind bars for two years.