The Kozelsky District Court of the Kaluga Region recently handed down a three-year prison sentence to a man convicted of stealing a long‑parked Kia from the parking area near the Optina Pustyn monastery. This outcome was disclosed through a Telegram channel operated by the joint press service of the district courts.
Investigators established that a 42‑year‑old man, acting with aggression, hired a tow truck to move a Kia JF model, corresponding to the Kia Optima, from the monastery precinct. The vehicle, which the suspect intended to resell or dismantle for parts, had been left unattended on the monastery grounds for an extended period, making it appear vulnerable to theft.
Evidence gathered during the inquiry indicated that the vehicle owner had parked the car on monastery grounds as a security measure for a debt owed to him by a friend. The injured party testified to the court that he had lent the car to his acquaintance while the debt remained unsettled, and that documents could not be rearranged. As a result, the friend allegedly kept the car near the monastery for a time, deeming the location to be safe.
The accused later expressed remorse and returned the vehicle, valued at roughly 2 million rubles. Despite this, the court sentenced him to three years in a penal colony on charges of theft, reflecting the seriousness of the offense and the broader legal framework governing property crimes in the region.
In related local news, authorities noted another case involving a vehicle theft for repair, this time in the Murmansk region, where an employee of a car service was reported as responsible for a similar crime. Such incidents underscore ongoing concerns about vehicle safety and the responsibility of owners and service providers to safeguard assets while debts and repairs are pending.