Chinese would-be robber’s knife snaps in two after woman he targeted grabs hold of blade
Man forced to flee empty-handed when cheap knife broke off at handle
A man in eastern China has been detained on suspicion of trying to a rob a woman with a cheap knife that was of such poor quality it snapped during a scuffle.
The man, who was said to be heavily in debt, is accused of forcing his way into the woman’s flat in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, after she left the door open, Hubei Television’s Economy Channel reported on Sunday.
The man, identified only by his surname Lu, allegedly threatened the unnamed woman with a knife and forced her to go into her bedroom to get cash.
While looking for cash, the woman tried to take the knife from the man’s hand. She managed to get hold of the blade, which promptly snapped off, leaving the would-be robber holding only its handle.
Security footage from the apartment block shows she then ran out of the flat, chased by the man, who fled after she started calling for help.
Police caught the suspect soon after the break-in on Thursday because officers were able to identify his face.
The report said he had confessed that he had extensive debts and thought of robbery when he saw the woman was all by herself and her door had been left open.
The woman said she had just picked up several parcels and forgot to close the door while she was unpacking them. It was not clear whether the blade had caused her any injury.