Pork fat, a heating pad and a five-storey jump: how a 74-year-old escaped house arrest in Argentina
Leonardo Bertulazzi, 74, a former member of Italy's Red Brigades, dramatically escaped house arrest in Buenos Aires by cutting off his ankle monitor and rappelling down from his fifth-floor apartment.
As dozens of police and sniffer dogs poured into San Telmo, a traditional Buenos Aires neighborhood, on Tuesday morning, locals initially feared they were searching for a bomb. It was later revealed that authorities were actually hunting for Leonardo Bertulazzi, a 74-year-old former member of Italy's radical far-left militant group the Red Brigades.
Bertulazzi had been living under house arrest in Argentina after his arrest in 2024, awaiting extradition to Italy to serve a 27-year sentence for terrorism. His escape came at approximately 6am, when security forces were focused on protecting Pope Francis during his visit to Argentina.
Dramatic Escape Method
The fugitive executed a daring escape by cutting off his ankle monitor. To bypass its temperature and pressure sensors, Bertulazzi wrapped the device in a tube filled with pork fat and left it next to a heating pad. He then rappelled down from his apartment's fifth floor, jumped into a vacant lot behind the building, and scaled a metal gate to reach the street.
It was like something out of a movie
Background and Aftermath
Bertulazzi once held a senior position in the Red Brigades, responsible for attacks throughout Italy's 'Years of Lead' in the 1970s, including the kidnapping and assassination of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro in 1978. He had been sentenced in absentia in Italy in 1985 and 1997.
After years on the run, Bertulazzi was first arrested in Argentina in 2002, freed months later, and granted refugee status in 2004. This was revoked two years ago, leading to his re-arrest and house arrest for health concerns. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had framed his detention as a political win facilitated by her government's relations with Argentina.
Following his escape, Italy's interior ministry undersecretary Wanda Ferro blamed Argentinian police for failing to ensure proper surveillance. Argentina's security ministry has offered a $13,000 reward for information leading to Bertulazzi's recapture. His lawyer, Rodolfo Yanzon, revealed that Bertulazzi suffered three strokes during detention and had difficulty walking, suggesting the judge's refusal to authorize medical testing may have prompted his escape.
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