/ 1 November 2004

Police nab napping robber

A man allegedly broke in to a house in western Japan with the intention of robbing it, but was so drunk that he fell asleep in his victim’s home without stealing a thing, police said on Monday.

The occupant returned to his home in Kobe city on Sunday afternoon to find the unemployed suspect, Tatsumi Okagawa (52), asleep on the floor upstairs, a Hyogo prefecture police spokesperson said on condition of anonymity.

Okagawa told police he had intended to rob the home but instead just fell asleep.

Police caught him as he tried to flee the house and arrested him on suspicion of illegal entry, the spokesperson said.

Kobe, a major port city, lies about 435km west of Tokyo. — Sapa-AP