Three foreign nationals aged 20, 23, and 26 have been placed in custody following a violent nighttime assault in Livorno that left a 29-year-old man hospitalized with severe trauma and a collapsed lung, local authorities announced.
Three Arrested in Livorno Over July Assault
Italian police executed three pre-trial custody orders targeting the suspects on charges including aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, theft, and carrying weapons, according to details released by the Livorno police headquarters. Investigators stated that the attack unfolded around 3 a.m. on July 17 in the coastal area between Terrazza Mascagni and Viale Italia.
According to the police reconstruction, a group of five individuals approached the 29-year-old victim. One assailant brandished a baseball bat, demanded information about a gold chain the victim was wearing, and ripped it from his neck. When the victim attempted to flee toward a parking area, he was overtaken and beaten with fists, kicks, and the bat. The attackers also deployed pepper spray and stabbed the victim in the leg before fleeing with his wallet—which contained about €680—and his mobile phone.
Hospital Treatment and Critical Injuries
Emergency medical services transported the victim to a hospital, where physicians treated him for multiple fractures, a stab wound, and a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung. Police officials noted that prompt medical intervention proved critical, stating that a delay in treating the collapsed lung would have drastically altered the outcome of the case.
Investigators relied on a combination of street surveillance footage, a witness account from a passerby, and physical evidence recovered at the scene. Officers located the discarded baseball bat near the attack site, which the victim later identified. Police noted that the victim knew his alleged attackers only by sight.
Police Operations and Continuing Manhunt
Livorno Police Chief Michele Abenante and Mobile Squad chief Riccardo Signorelli detailed the investigation during a press conference. Abenante characterized the arrests as a concrete response to public safety concerns in the city. Signorelli explained that executing the custody orders proved difficult because the suspects were transient and lacked fixed addresses.
During operations to apprehend the suspects, officers recovered nearly €2,000 in cash, a small quantity of hashish, and pepper spray. Authorities are still searching for two additional suspects believed to be involved in the July attack. The investigation remains open regarding a potential narcotics-related motive, though police emphasized that connection is not yet formally established. The three detained suspects await further court proceedings under the presumption of innocence.
Five Custody Orders Issued Within a Single Month
During the briefing, the Mobile Squad chief highlighted a broader enforcement push in the Tuscan port city, noting that authorities have executed five separate custody orders in connection with violent crimes over a one-month span. That total includes the three arrests from the July assault along with two separate attempted murder investigations stemming from incidents in September on Via del Cardinale and Via del Pantalone.
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