Unknown individuals cut through the wire mesh fence at a house on Aesop Street, in Mesovarda Artemida, and then used a crowbar to force open the front door, though they ultimately failed to gain entry to the house. The incident took place on Monday and came to light following a public post by a local resident. Aesopou Street runs perpendicular to Ethnikis Antistaseos Avenue, in one of the least densely populated areas of Artemida, where many houses are closed up for the off-season.
According to the same report, the perpetrators abandoned their attempt for reasons that remain unknown — they had already broken down the door, but did not proceed inside. What is worrying the neighbourhood is something else: this is the second time in about two months that the same property has been targeted. The first time, as the resident reports, the perpetrators did manage to get inside.
The same resident adds that the perpetrators also attempted to break into his own home, in the same area, and left when the tenants returned home.
What has been confirmed and what hasn’t
The above information comes from a post by a local resident, not from an announcement by the Hellenic Police. There has been no police statement regarding the incident, no arrest has been reported, and whether the two break-ins at the same house are linked is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.
A clarification of the terms, as this was reported as a ‘robbery’: a robbery is the taking of property by force or threat against a person. When the house is empty and the door is forced open, the incident is classified as theft — or, as in this case, attempted theft following a break-in. This classification affects how the case file is drawn up and what the insurance company looks for in the statement.
Third incident in a few weeks
The break-in at Mesovarda is not an isolated incident. On 14 September, a break-in was reported at a house in Alykes Artemida, below Arionos Street, whilst the owners were away — ‘luckily for us, no one was there’, wrote the owner. In late August, a local business owner had spoken publicly about ‘unabated crime’, describing repeated shoplifting incidents over the course of a year, and had suggested organising a private patrol, first for the shops and then for the homes.
What do you actually do?
In an incident that is currently unfolding — suspicious behaviour, noise, an unknown vehicle parked and waiting — the number to call is 100 for the Emergency Services, not the police station.
To make a report after the event, please contact the Spata–Artemida Police Station, 3 Spyrou Markou Street, Spata, telephone 210 6632771 (Officer on Duty).
Report the incident even if nothing has been stolen. An incident that is not recorded does not exist anywhere: neither in the evidence used to request more patrols for the neighbourhood, nor in your home insurance claim, which requires a case reference number or a certificate to cover even damage to a door.
Do not touch the lock, the door or the point of forced entry before the investigation team arrives. That is where fingerprints and marks from the tool remain, which is the only way to link two separate break-ins.
Take a photo of the damage and note the time. If you have a camera facing the road, the footage should be handed over to the police — it should not be posted on social media, as the publication of people’s faces raises data protection issues and may harm the case.
If you have seen anything in Mesovarda or at the Salt Flats over the last few days, please send us a message via the Contact page. Your details will not be published.
Sources: reports from residents via irafina.gr (17 September 2026 and 14 September 2026). Telephone numbers: Spata–Artemida Police Station, Emergency Services.
