Veteran burglar 'stole to help sick mom'

A VETERAN burglar who allegedly stole nearly 100,000 yuan (US$14,644) from more than 100 victims in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality in the past two years spent most of the loot to cure his fatally ill mother.

Du Xiaofeng, a native of Sichuan Province working in Chongqing, was arrested yesterday by police in the city's Daduhe District, today's Chongqing Evening News reported.


Du claimed he had spent most of the money to cover medical bills for his mother who had developed kidney failure. A police investigation confirmed Du's account, the newspaper said.

However, lawyers said that Du should not expect leniency because he often climbed into victims' room late at night wearing a mask, the newspaper reported. He had served a year's jail in 2003 for burglary, police said.

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