Italian authorities are investigating who assisted Andrea Cavallari’s prison escape by providing a vehicle, funds, and documents for his two-week fugitive holiday in Spain. The Bologna Prosecutor’s Office, already investigating aiding and abetting charges since his disappearance, is focusing on these questions. Cavallari—a 26-year-old member of Modena’s “spray paint gang” convicted for the 2018 Corinaldo nightclub stampede that killed five minors and a 39-year-old mother—fled Bologna’s Dozza prison on July 3 during a graduation furlough.
He was arrested yesterday morning at a hotel in Lloret de Mar near Barcelona after investigators traced electronic payments. Police delayed raiding the hotel until payments became consistent, indicating Cavallari had settled there. Surveillance footage showed him in short sleeves and a visor cap, phone in hand, blending with tourists. When captured, he was leaving the hotel, likely heading to the beach.
Prosecutors assert Cavallari couldn’t have orchestrated the escape alone, suspecting family or visitors aided him. After driving through France to Spain, he stayed in Barcelona and nearby areas before reaching Lloret de Mar—where police had located him a day earlier but held off to avoid tipping him off.
Ancona’s Prosecutor General Roberto Rossi will request extradition shortly. Under Schengen Treaty rules, Cavallari could return to Italy within a month. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio praised investigators: “His capture in Spain, achieved through local cooperation and Eurojust coordination, marks a success in international crime-fighting. Heartfelt thanks to the NIC’s investigative efficiency and the penitentiary police for their service.”
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