Gardaí believe a man killed in a hit and run in Finglas, Dublin, on Tuesday night was dragged for up to 150ft under a van carrying thieves he had just disturbed.
The dead man was Robertas Jusius (45), a Lithuanian father of two.
He was killed when he and two friends challenged a group of five men trying to steal diesel from their trucks at the back of their apartment in Lanesborough Road, Finglas, at about 10pm.
The Lithuanian men saw the group acting suspiciously at the trucks and went to investigate. They found the group of five siphoning fuel from the tanks of their lorries using hoses and 30-gallon drums.
The Lithuanians, who worked as truck drivers and filled their vehicles with fuel most evenings, held a man at the scene until gardaí arrived.
However, four of the five men jumped into a red Transit van, containing the fuel drums, and sped from the scene.
As they did Mr Jusius got caught under the vehicle and was dragged up to 150ft before breaking free.
It is understood he lost his footing after his clothing caught in the van's door.
His two friends alerted the emergency services and neighbours gave the injured man a pillow and blanket and tried to comfort him.
He was then taken by ambulance to the Mater hospital, where he died at 11pm.
Friends of Mr Jusius told The Irish Times he had relocated to Dublin from his native city of Kaunas two years ago to earn money to send back to his family in Lithuania.
His wife Nitalija and youngest daughter Roberta (15) still live there.
His eldest daughter Rutha (22) followed her father to Ireland and has been working in a factory in Carlow.
She was contacted at 1am yesterday when news of her father's death was relayed to her by the group of Lithuanians with whom he shared the house in the Lanesborough estate.
She drove from Carlow to Dublin with a friend in the early hours of yesterday morning. It is understood she formally identified her father's body in the Mater hospital.
The dead man's daughters were due to join him in Dublin for Easter.
The skid marks from the vehicle involved in the robbery were clearly visible yesterday.
The man arrested at the scene is aged 18. He was questioned by gardaí on Tuesday night and again yesterday.
A second, 20-year-old man was arrested in Blanchardstown yesterday morning when a red Transit van, believed to be the vehicle involved in the hit and run, was seized by gardaí.
He was being held overnight and is expected to appear in court this morning.
Three other men, aged 18, 23 and 24, whom gardaí believe were at the scene when Mr Jusius was fatally injured, presented themselves for questioning at Finglas station yesterday.
They were not arrested and had left the Garda station last night after being questioned at length about the hit and run and attempted theft of the fuel. A file on their role is also being prepared for the DPP.
The van seized by gardaí was being forensically examined last night. All five men involved have addresses in the Coolock area.
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