Xinhua News Agency, Xi'an (reporter Lei Hao) - Due to unfamiliarity with the surrounding environment, a 19-year-old robber turned and ran towards the police station after snatching 1600 yuan in cash, making a "route mistake". He was caught by the police just five minutes after committing the crime.
"Someone robbed my money at the Red Mangrove Internet Cafe and ran away, I'm chasing him," a young man reported to the Tumen Police Station of the Lianhu Branch of the Xi'an Public Security Bureau around 10:30 PM on July 29th. The police immediately rushed to the scene after hanging up the phone. Within 20 seconds, as the police car turned out of Fenghao No.2 Alley where the reporter was located, they saw several people running madly about a hundred meters ahead. The robber, whose way was blocked by the police car, turned right into Fenghao No.1 Alley, but it was too late. After a few steps, he was tackled to the ground by two policemen and some enthusiastic citizens. "He clearly didn't know the surroundings well. How dare he run towards the police station after robbing someone? I've never seen such a robber," said Deng Juncheng, the police officer in charge of the case that night at Tumen Police Station, introducing yesterday that the robbery from receiving the call at 10:36 PM to capturing the suspect took no more than five minutes.
The reporter contacted Mr. Zhang, the victim of the robbery yesterday. According to his recollection, at around 10:30 PM that night, he came to the Red Mangrove Internet Cafe on Fenghao West Road. Just as he took out the money to buy a card at the counter, a hand suddenly snatched 1600 yuan from him and ran off. "I immediately chased after him and called the police while chasing," Mr. Zhang said, unexpectedly colliding with the robber and the arriving police officers, which helped him quickly recover his money.
After interrogation by the police, it was learned that the suspect Zhang is from Henan province. This post-90s "novice" currently lives temporarily in Xi'an with his family and claims to have a job. Due to recent financial difficulties, when he saw Mr. Zhang take out a stack of money while wandering around the internet cafe, he had evil intentions.
At the scene, the reporter saw that just a few meters out of the internet cafe was Chuangxin Road, but Zhang did not choose there. Instead, he crossed the road to the north and entered Tuanjie Second Road, which has fewer people and wider roads. "According to Zhang's confession, he had never been to this area before, hadn't robbed anyone, and didn't even know there was a police station nearby, so he panicked and fled blindly," analyzed Deng Juncheng. By noon on July 30th, Zhang had already been criminally detained on suspicion of robbery.