Chennai: Family leaves key on windowsill, 17-year-old steals solver, cash, phone

CHENNAI: Taking advantage of a family's habit of leaving the house key on the windowsill, a 17-year-old boy trespassed into the house in Nammalvarpet using the key and stole silver ornaments, Rs 52,000 cash, and a mobile phone last week.

Investigating the case, the police arrested the juvenile delinquent. The complainant, S Kirubakaran (50), a private firm employee, lived with his family in Ranganathapuram in Nammalvarpet.

On March 11, before leaving home, Kirubakaran's son had left the house key on the windowsill for his parents. When Kirubakaran's wife returned home, she found the door open, the house ransacked, and valuables stolen.

The family filed a complaint at the Secretariat Colony police station, after which police zeroed in on the suspect and secured him. By then, the boy had spent part of the stolen cash.

The police recovered silver anklets, chain, bangle, and ring from him. Police said that the minor boy already has two criminal cases.

He was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, which sent him to an observation home. The police urged residents not to hide keys in predictable spots and to secure doors.