The burglar hid under a bed when he heard the homeowner return, but the stench from his feet gave him away. Photo: Kankanews
Source:
https://scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2136707/chinese-burglar-who-removed-his-shoes-avoid-leaving-clues-let People & Culture
Chinese burglar who removed his shoes to avoid leaving clues let down by his stinky feet
Stench led homeowner directly to would-be thief’s hiding place
Police survey the scene outside a house in eastern China that a man with smelly feet tried to burgle. Photo: Kankanews
A suspected burglar from eastern China who was determined to keep the police off his scent by not leaving them any clues was ultimately let down by his own stinky feet, according to a news report.
The man, who was not named but described as a “habitual and professional” criminal from Hanshan county in Anhui province, was detained on March 4, just hours after fleeing a residential property he had been trying to burgle, Kankannews.com reported on Sunday.
Before entering the house, in the town of Lintou, the suspect removed his shoes so as not to leave any footprints for police to use against him, the report said.
As he was searching the property for valuables, however, he heard the homeowner return, so slid under a bed to hide.
And that was when his efforts to evade detection really let him down.
According to the report, the stench from his feet was so strong that the property owner was instantly drawn to it, and the game was up.
While the would-be thief managed to avoid being caught by his intended victim, it was not long before the police traced him to his own home in the same county and took him into custody.