A YouTuber has been accused of paying local men to stage phone thefts so he could film them for content.
Federico Zompichiatti’s video shows a man opening a bus window just as the vehicle was pulling away from the stop.
He reached in and tried to snatch a phone from the nearest passenger but apparently failed and walked away casually, as bystanders didn’t even react.
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Zompichiatti, who goes by “Zazza El Italiano” online, then turned the camera on himself, saying: “What’s crazy is nobody stops, nobody says a word.”
He then filmed another phone theft — this one successful — carried out by another man using the same method.
“Damn, that’s nasty. Really nasty. So ugly. Sh*t,” Zompichiatti narrated.
“It’s like, they’re a group and then they run off over there. And disappear down that way,” he added as the thief disappeared with the stolen device.
Turning the camera back on himself, he said: “Guys I can’t do anything. There’s like four or five of them and I already saw they’ve got knives and everything.”
Zompichiatti — from Udine, Italy — shared the video on 10 August, as reported by Need To Know.
On Wednesday (13 Aug), Bolivian police reported opening an investigation into the YouTuber.
Local media say one of the alleged thieves, Diego Z., was arrested and told officers in Santa Cruz de la Sierra that Zompichiatti had offered them 400 BOB (£43) each to stage the robberies.
But the YouTuber “only gave me 200 BOB (£21),” he allegedly claimed.
Diego Z. was previously arrested on 10 July on suspicion of a similar crime but was released after spending time in custody.
Santa Cruz Police commander Rolando Rojas told local media: “There would be a statement from this person suggesting that the robbery was instigated.
“I’m not going to irresponsibly assert that. The investigation must continue to confirm or disprove this version.”
Zompichiatti now faces being hauled before prosecutors to give a statement.
If the alleged thief’s account is corroborated, the YouTuber could face charges of incitement and causing disrepute to the Bolivian police and state.
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