Dear Cherubs, It was meant to be a straightforward nighttime smash-and-grab at a family-run pastry shop in Terrassa, but two alleged thieves turned the whole operation into a masterclass in how not to commit a crime—complete with trips, spills, and one very chilly hiding spot.

The fiasco unfolded around 3 a.m. on February 20, 2026, at Pastisseria Erica on Calle Ample in the Barcelona suburb. One suspect broke a window to get inside and promptly cut himself, leaving a trail of blood that would later prove handy for the cops. His accomplice—a woman—joined the party, and together they set their sights on the cash register.

A Heist Straight Out of a Cartoon

Things went south fast. The male suspect yanked the register off the counter, only to trip spectacularly over its dangling power cord and smack straight into the display case. He tried hauling the whole thing out through the window bars, but it wouldn’t fit. “No cabe, no cabe!” he reportedly yelled, according to CCTV footage that’s since gone viral. The pair made enough racket to alert the neighborhood, and soon two local police officers burst in shouting “¡Al suelo!”

The woman bolted. She tripped over the exact same cord—twice—then crawled across the floor in a panic and decided the smartest escape route was the walk-in freezer. Yes, the one kept at a crisp -18°C and stocked with ensaimadas, tarts, and brioches. She climbed in among the pastries and hunkered down, leaving a breadcrumb trail of blood that might as well have come with neon arrows.

The Icy Gotcha

Officers followed the red splatters like pros and pulled her out minutes later, half-frozen and presumably rethinking every life choice that led her there. Her partner had already been collared. No cash was taken, but the shop was left looking like a pastry battlefield—broken glass, overturned displays, the works. The owners had to close for a couple of days to clean and disinfect.

When they reopened, locals showed up in force, clearing the shelves in a show of solidarity. The owner posted on Instagram about the frustration of early-morning prep work being wrecked, but the community response turned the whole mess into a feel-good footnote. As for the suspects, both were arrested on the spot and face charges of robbery with force.

It’s the kind of story that reminds you some crimes are less “Ocean’s Eleven” and more “Keystone Kops.” No injuries beyond a few bruises and that pesky cut, thankfully, and the only thing that got properly chilled was the would-be thief in the freezer. In a world full of grim headlines, this one’s low-key hilarious—and a solid reminder that even the simplest plan can go comically wrong when you forget to check for dangling cords.

Sources list
OPB — https://www.opb.org/news/article/southern-oregon-man-sentenced-to-jail-time-for-ill/
Oregon Water Resources Department, Water Rights in Oregon — https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/WRDPublications1/aquabook.pdf
ORS 537.141 — https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_537.141
Harrington v. Water Resources Department — https://law.justia.com/cases/oregon/court-of-appeals/2007/a129878.html
KCBY News / KVAL News — https://kcby.com/news/local/eagle-point-man-jailed-for-illegal-water-reservoirs-11-13-2015-184817498
thisclaimer.com — https://thisclaimer.com/
Wikimedia Commons image: Rainwater harvesting tank (5981896147).jpg — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rainwater_harvesting_tank_%285981896147%29.jpg