A Slovak National Was on the Run for 16 Years. Then He Went to the Olympics in Milan
This is the stuff Hollywood is made of.
Imagine this: You're a 44-year-old Slovak national and a huge fan of your country's men's hockey team. You're psyched about them competing in the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
You book a flight and head for Milan. You check in at the guesthouse you found on the outskirts of Milan. But before you can even hop on a taxi or Uber, you're met by police at the guesthouse and arrested.
According to Reuters, that's exactly what happened to the man on Wednesday ahead of Slovakia's opening hockey game against Finland.
The agency reported that authorities in Italy first had an arrest warrant for the man in 2010 in connection with a string of shoplifting thefts. He had been on the run this entire time, avoiding capture while back in Slovakia.
The man pushed his luck when he returned to Italy to catch his hockey team. Reuters reports that authorities received a tip from staff at the guesthouse where he was staying. That's how they were able to locate and apprehend him.
Reports say the man was immediately taken to jail. Yes, he missed his beloved hockey game. He won't be returning home anytime soon. He's now serving an 11-month sentence behind bars.
Had the man avoided authorities for just a few more hours, he would have witnessed Slovakia upset Finland, 4-1, thanks to Montreal Canadiens star Juraj Slafkovsky's two goals and an assist.
No word on whether the man will have TV access in prison.
Finland plays Italy on Friday morning.