Thiruvananthapuram: A Tamil Nadu native, who had made a habit of staying in 5-star hotels and fleeing without paying, was taken into custody by the Thiruvananthapuram Cantonment police in Kollam on Sunday.

The accused has been identified as Vincent John, of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. Vincent, who had been staying in a 5-star hotel in Thiruvananthapuram for four days, is believed to have fled the property with a laptop he stole after finishing his meal.

The accused reportedly ordered plenty of food during his stay at the hotel. On Sunday, he called reception and asked if they could lend him a laptop as he had an important conference to attend. However, Vincent fled the area with the laptop.

He was arrested in Kollam following the investigation that was conducted on the basis of the complaint filed by the hotel management.

According to police, Vincent had made a habit of staying in 5-star hotels and later fleeing the place. He uses his proficiency in English to convince those at the reception into giving him a room without paying upfront.

Besides booking the most expensive of rooms, he orders their costliest food and drinks. He often tells hotel authorities he will clear all the bills while checking out. However, he manages to escape from the hotel unnoticed.

He reportedly used fake IDs while booking rooms. According to the police, there are a number of cases registered against him in Mumbai.