Updated: | Originally published: ;
An alleged thief who snatched a woman’s cell phone in China was apprehended about 10 seconds after the act when he ran straight into a police station. Apparently unaware of his surroundings, the man found himself in the precinct’s parking lot while attempting to make a quick getaway.
Surveillance footage posted by of the incident in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, shows the man grabbing the phone out of the woman’s hand on a city sidewalk before taking off in the direction of the station. The woman — who tried to chase the thief but tripped and fell — then enters the compound and points him out to a nearby officer.
Watch the clip here.
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Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com