"The Sleeping Thief": A Woman's Strangest Guest Finds Her Home

Russian Police Investigate Incident  

"The Sleeping Thief": A Woman's Strangest Guest Finds Her Home

In a bizarre incident, a woman in Russia found a thief asleep in her apartment after he had gathered several items with the intention of stealing them, according to a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Amur region.

"It turned out that during the night, the perpetrator broke into the house through a window with the intention of stealing, knowing that the owners were not home. The suspect placed the items he needed (a television and a chainsaw) in bags," the statement added. "The thief thought that the homeowner would not return for a long time, so he decided to rest and went to sleep."

The thief, a 45-year-old local resident with a prior conviction for theft and illegal drug trafficking, was arrested. Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation for attempted burglary with unlawful entry, an offense punishable by up to six years in prison. The authorities later released the perpetrator on the condition that he remain at his residence.

According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, a thief broke into an apartment in the Blagoveshchensk region and, after stealing items, fell asleep inside, where he was discovered by the homeowner. A 56-year-old woman stated that she returned home after a night shift and found a stranger sleeping in her apartment.