Man arrested for blackmailing cat burglar caught robbing his house

A homeowner in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province was arrested for blackmailing a cat burglar he had caught robbing his house, local media reported Tuesday.

Local police said the owner surnamed Ma served five days in administrative detention for blackmailing the alleged thief of 1,000 yuan ($160) in exchange for not reporting him to authorities.

The thief, 29 and surnamed Wang, is being held on suspicion for a string of break-ins and the theft of about 30,000 yuan in property.

Ma discovered Wang attempting to leave his apartment with his belongings on July 19.

Ma blocked Wang's exit, upon which the thief begged to be released without notifying police. Wang handed Ma all the cash he had - a total 80 yuan.

"That is far from enough. I still have to report you to the police. I'll let it go if you give me 1,000 yuan," said Ma.

Wang called family members to transfer the sum into Ma's bank account.

Ma also relieved Wang of a camera that he had stolen from another house.

Police arrested Wang for the theft of the camera on July 30, upon which he recounted his run-in with Ma.

Local authorities summoned Ma immediately. "You cannot blackmail a person for money, even if he is a thief," said police.