Zurich prosecutors charge man in violent car robbery and theft spree

The Zurich Public Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against a 21-year-old French national following a series of vehicle thefts and a violent car robbery in February 2026. The indictment, to be heard at the Uster District Court, includes charges of robbery, theft, property damage, and trespassing.

According to the prosecution, the suspect and two accomplices stole a van in Egerkingen (SO) before breaking into a car dealership in Wil (SG) in an attempt to steal a BMW. The group then followed a Mercedes to a parking garage in Dübendorf (ZH), where they used violence to steal the vehicle from a woman. The suspects fled through the city of Zurich at high speeds before two individuals were apprehended in Oberentfelden (AG).

The prosecution is seeking a four-year unconditional prison sentence and a seven-year expulsion from Switzerland. While the adult suspect faces criminal proceedings, a 17-year-old accomplice has been referred to the youth prosecutor's office. A third accomplice remains at large.