Ceausescu Son Tried to Flee in Back of Car Driven by Woman

The son of deposed Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu tried to flee Bucharest hiding in the back seat of a car driven by a heavily perfumed woman who identified him as her lover, a Hungarian newspaper said today.

Ivan Maru, a printer, told the Nepszabadsag he overpowered Nicu Ceausescu and then took him to the TV center in Bucharest, where the notorious playboy appeared on camera looking dazed and bruised.

Maru said he had been checking cars near Bucharest’s Baneasa domestic airport Friday with a group of young men when a Romanian-made car approached.

“A very elegant woman was driving the car. . . . We saw that a man was sitting behind, his cap completely pulled down.

“I reached in and pulled off his cap. I saw it was Nicu. He got out of the car and pretended to search for his papers. Then suddenly he ran away. I ran after him and jumped on him. I twisted his arm behind his back. My buddies got there too and helped.”