Woman seeks bed in jail by arson

By Jane Chen | December 8, 2009, Tuesday |

Online Edition

A HOMELESS woman eager to find free accommodation this winter went a little too far – she set fire to a bank's ATM to earn herself a prison sentence in south China's Guangdong Province.

Police have detained the woman surnamed Zeng, 22, and will soon refer her to prosecutors to file a charge, today's Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

Zeng failed to find a job in Shenzhen when she moved a month ago from her hometown in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Penniless, she took shelter in 24-hour self-service banking outlets at nights.

Around 2:15am on Sunday, while she was sleeping near banking terminals in Bao'an District, a bank security guard asked her to leave.

Enraged, Zeng set fire to the ATM terminals in the outlet, shouting "put me in jail so that I'll have food and place to shelter," a guard told the newspaper.

The fire was soon put out although one machine was totally destroyed costing 20,000 yuan (US$2,300), said the bank.

Zeng allegedly confessed her crime, and could be charged with damaging public property - with a three-year to seven-year jail term if convicted, police said.

Nation

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

Woman seeks bed in jail by arson

Email this to your friend