5 May 2004

BERLIN – Police in Berlin saw through a teenage robber – after he inadvertently left an X-ray of himself at the scene of the crime.

The 18-year-old stole about EUR 25,000 in cash from the home of an 80-year-old woman after gaining access with a key he had nicked from her son, a casual acquaintance.

The son told him about his mother’s cache while commiserating with the boy about his recently broken arm, police said Wednesday.

In his haste, however, the youth left behind a medical X-ray of the fracture – complete with his name and address on an accompanying label.

Police obligingly “returned” the X-ray and, finding the cash and the key on his person, they arrested him on juvenile charges of breaking and entering and larceny.

DPA

Subject: German news