A man from Lithuania, identified only as Aidas J, has made a practice out of pretending to have a heart attack in order to avoid paying the bill at a variety of restaurants in Spain. Known locally as the “gastrojeta,” the 50-year-old has tried the scam at least 20 times over the past year. Most recently, he ordered a seafood paella and two whiskeys at the El Buen Comer restaurant in Alicante, Spain, and received a bill in the amount of $36.80. He attempted to leave without paying, but restaurant staff stopped him, telling him he needed to pay his bill. Aidas became visibly upset and said he was going to get the money from his hotel room. When staff refused to let him leave without paying, he dramatically threw himself on the ground and pretended to be having a heart attack. Not fooled, the staff called the police, who immediately recognized the man from previous incidents. The man’s photo has now been shared with all the restaurants in the area, warning them ahead of time to look out for the repeat offender.
