A burglary is of course not fun for any resident, but some burglars know how to take things to the extreme. From falling asleep at the scene of the crime to jumping into the canal during your escape attempt, or firing up the deep fryer for a frikandel: we have listed the five most bizarre stories for you.
1. The neighbor as a thief
Any criminal understands: it is not smart to leave things lying around that reveal something about your identity. A burglar of a shed on the Schuttersweg in Hilvarenbeek had not yet fully learned that lesson. The man took a bicycle but also left a few things behind. His telephone, bank card and ID, that is.
It was therefore not a very big task for the police to track down the 37-year-old man. He was found only a few hundred meters further, of course with a bicycle.
MORE ABOUT THIS: Not so smart: Burglar leaves behind phone, ID and bank card
2. Just take a nap
It must have been a shock for a resident in Waalwijk when he came face to face with a sleepy burglar. Earlier in the day, the police had been there because the back door had been forced, but nothing came of that search. Nothing had been stolen and no one was found.
That probably had to do with the fact that the burglar was dozing for a while. Later that day, the resident of the house hears some commotion above him. It turns out to be the burglar who had previously disappeared without a trace. While the intruder rubs the sleep from his eyes, the police are called again. The 29-year-old man was then arrested.
READ MORE HERE: Sleepy burglar dozes off after police visit and surprises resident
3. Dry eyes…er, feet?
For bystanders of the Tramsingel in Breda it must have been a moment from a movie when someone thoughtlessly flew into the water. A burglar wanted to strike in a student house but was caught red-handed. The perpetrator then fled from the house and jumped into the canal during his intended escape route.
Bystanders saw the whole fiasco happen and waited for the burglar when he climbed out of the water. That happened in February, so the water can’t have been very warm. The clumsy intruder had to be wrapped up with special foil after his dive. The life of a criminal is not a bed of roses, as it turns out.
The burglar was wrapped in foil after his cold dive. (Photo: Etten-Leur district police officers)
4. Baking snacks and stealing stuff
Most people enjoy a snack now and then, but how much are you willing to pay for it? Some people are willing to pay a lot, as Etten-Leur district officer Evy found out. She caught a burglar red-handed who had simultaneously dropped some frikandellen in the fat. “I was just hungry,” the man said pitifully as he was arrested.
By the way, he is not the only one who plugs the chip shop into the socket while carrying out illegal practices. Hockey club MHC Udenhout was also a few snacks poorer while, among other things, the cash register was stolen. In fact: There was even a huge havoc caused.
MORE ABOUT THE FRITUURBOEF: No money or jewelry as loot, Evy cuffed frying thief
5. Stuck on the toilet
A man from Bergen op Zoom must have felt very smart when he broke into a theater and took multiple phones, wallets and cash. What is less smart is to continue to withdraw money with a stolen debit card. The thief’s first transaction was noticed immediately because the debit card had been reported stolen. The police initially arrived too late at the gas station. The perpetrator had already disappeared.
But not much later the thief returned to the gas station. You can’t pass up a chance like that twice, thought the gas station employee. Together with some bystanders the burglar was overpowered and locked in a toilet cubicle. Then it was just a matter of waiting until the police could finally put the man in handcuffs this time.
