A fugitive on the run for years is arrested when he turns up at the Olympics to watch hockey

By: The Associated Press Posted: 5:06 AM CST Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 Last Modified: 7:11 AM CST Friday, Feb. 13, 2026

ROME (AP) — A Slovak fugitive who had been on the run for 16 years was finally arrested when he turned up in Milan to support his national ice hockey team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, police said Friday.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/02/2026 (235 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 44-year-old man, who was not named, was wanted by Italian authorities for a series of thefts committed in 2010.

The carabinieri managed to track down and arrest the man Wednesday after he checked into a campsite in the outskirts of Milan, thanks to an automatic alert from the campsite reception.

Slovakia's Adam Ruzicka, rear right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's fourth goal during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

The fugitive was then taken to Milan’s San Vittore prison to serve a pending sentence of 11 months and 7 days, according to the carabinieri, Italy’s military police.

The man did not manage to see the opening game in which Slovakia’s hockey team beat Finland with a sound 4-1 at Milan’s Santagiulia Arena on Wednesday.