Three Teenage Empty Car Burglars in Bathrobes Arrested: "Came to Seoul for a Trip and Ran Out of Money"

Caught on CCTV in the Underground Parking Lot of an Apartment Complex in Seongdong-gu

Three teenagers who stole items from cars with unlocked doors in an apartment underground parking lot were caught by the police. They were caught after a security guard, suspicious of their behavior, reported them.

According to the police and TV Chosun, around 4:10 a.m. on the 4th, CCTV footage captured three teenagers going around the underground parking lot of an apartment in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, committing car break-ins.

According to the apartment's closed-circuit television (CCTV), they selected vehicles whose side mirrors were not folded, pulled the door handles to check if the doors were unlocked, and searched inside the unlocked cars. Within 15 minutes, the group searched three cars but fled when a security guard suddenly appeared.

Three teenagers in their teens wearing bathrobes broke into empty cars in an apartment underground parking lot.
[Photo by TV Chosun]

The security guard who apprehended them said he found it suspicious that the men, wearing bathrobes, were checking cars one by one while sticking together.

The security guard reported to the police around 4:20 a.m., and about 30 minutes later, one car thief was caught. Then, the security guard blocked the parking lot entrance and caught another person, and the remaining two hiding between cars were sequentially arrested by the arriving police officers.

[Photo by TV Chosun]

The three friends stated during police investigation, "We came to Seoul from the provinces on a trip and committed the crime due to lack of security." The police have booked them on charges of special theft and are investigating whether there are additional offenses.

Meanwhile, a man in his 40s who previously committed car break-in crimes across the country was also arrested by the police. This man committed thefts 16 times in total across various locations including Ulsan, Busan, and Seoul. Since May, he traveled nationwide, targeting only unlocked cars with side mirrors that did not fold, stealing cash amounting to 1.5 million won, precious metals, watches, and other valuables worth a total of 5 million won.