Man swims across creek to rob villa
A man in suburban Songjiang District was found to have swum across a creek at night to steal from a villa, police said on Friday.
The suspect, surnamed Shi, is alleged to have stolen over 50,000 yuan (US$7,600) from the villa and has been detained.
The missing cash was reported mid-October, but police couldn’t find any trace of the thief on surveillance footage at first.
Police then suspected that the burglar might have reached the neighborhood by swimming across a creek located at the south side of the area. They finally discovered him on a surveillance camera located near a water gate.
Shi, donning a swim suit, was seen swimming across the creek empty handed and leaving the neighborhood with a bag.
He was tracked down and caught a few days later, and has since confessed to committing the burglary.
Police advise residents in similar neighborhoods with houses located next to creeks or rivers to install infrared alarms on the bank, or apply oil or iron thorns to underwater drainpipes, in order to deter would-be swimming thieves.
