Police catch thief playing dead outside morgue

A thief was found playing dead outside a hospital morgue after a botched robbery in an attempt to avoid getting caught, media in Qingdao, Shandong province reported Tuesday.

The 41-year-old suspect, surnamed Xing, set fire to the hospital warehouse to distract security guards and make his escape after the botched burglary, according to police.

Fearing he hit a dead end, Xing then lay down on a gurney outside the mortuary's entrance and pretended to be dead as police arrived at the hospital. Suspecting arson, officers began to search the premises.

Hospital security spotted the gurney out of place in the corridor and notified officers.

Police found a shivering Xing with the iron bar he used to break into the warehouse.