Leonardo Bertulazzi escapes house arrest in Buenos Aires

Escape method and timing details

Leonardo Bertulazzi removed his electronic ankle monitor before lowering himself five meters to a vacant lot. He hid the device inside a tube of pork with a blood pressure monitor to keep temperature readings active. Security footage captured him resting briefly on the street after jumping from the building at 6.01am on 10 November. Police found the tampered monitor stationary in the apartment when they entered the fifth-floor residence.

Legal history and extradition context

Argentine authorities placed Bertulazzi under house arrest in 2024 after revoking his refugee status granted in 2004. He faces a 27-year prison sentence for joining an armed group and kidnapping Italian naval engineer Pietro Costa in 1977. Argentina approved his extradition to Italy in July 2025 following the rejection of his final appeal by the supreme court.

Reward offered and manhunt status

Following his escape from detention, the security ministry promised a $13,000 reward for details that would help capture him again. A nationwide manhunt is now under way while experts checked the apartment for explosives rigged by Bertulazzi. Officials noted that police became suspicious when the ankle tag remained stationary despite his absence.