Burglar stuck in bathroom vent rescued

A would-be burglar was thwarted when he got stuck climbing through a vent as he tried to break into an apartment in Chongqing.

Chaongshou district firefighters worked about an hour to free the 25-year-old suspect from the narrow vent leading to a bathroom.

Neighbors alerted police after finding the man dangling from the opening with his torso inside the room on July 19.

At first the suspect attempted to pass himself off as a relative of the apartment's owner looking to pick up things he had left inside.

Weighing only 50 kilograms, he told police his svelte physique had come in handy during similar break-ins.

"People all say I'm skinny, so why did I get stuck in the vent? I had measured the opening and it should have been wide enough for my waist," said the suspect.

While stuck in the bathroom, the man showered to keep calm and tried to lather himself with soap to slip free.

He was taken to a hospital to be checked out for scratches on his waist and sides. Police are investigating the case.