Teen burglar runs out of data, wakes homeowners to ask for WiFi access

[left-of-center2012]

Teen breaks into house in the middle of the night to wake neighbors and demand WiFi password

A Palo Alto, California, couple woke up early Sunday morning to a terrifying surprise: There was a stranger in their bedroom, according to police.

It was a 17-year-old burglar, and he startled the 60-something residents awake to ask for access to their WiFi network, according to Palo Alto police. The burglar had a garment obscuring his face, the victims said.

The burglar never got WiFi access, though. The man got out of his bed and forced the burglar out of their bedroom, down the hall and out the home’s front door, according to police. The couple called police right after that, around 12:30 a.m. Neither victim was injured. All that was missing from the home were two kitchen knives, the couple told police.

Officers quickly got to the scene and arrested the suspected burglar a block away, police said.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article215547200.html

[LisaM]

1. Way to stop crime in its tracks.

If only the next generation of would-be burglars were all thwarted by running out of data.

[nycbos]

2. Wow

This has a to be an honorable mention for a Darwin Award.

[Blue_true]

9. The two missing knives part caught my attention.

I guess if someone is in your bedroom, you won't react casually. But that kid could have been armed with the stolen knives.

[janterry]

3. Drugs or mental illness

I hope the arrest winds up being a 'blessing in disguise.'

He needs help

[Renew Deal]

4. They could have given him the password

[left-of-center2012]

5. Send him yours

[Renew Deal]

11. I'll have to have him over

Just don’t wake me up.

[gratuitous]

12. Not a problem, here's mine

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

[joshcryer]

6. I'm curious as to whether or not the kid woke them up intentionally.

Or did they wake up from his presence in the room, etc.

Most routers have a default password on a sticker near the serial number. Kid could have got it that way and they would've been none the wiser.

[Mariana]

7. If he could find the router.

Ours is out of sight and would be hard to find.

[left-of-center2012]

8. I created my wifi password

The number on the router isn't my password

[Blue_true]

10. Did you try using the default, in place of the one you created.

I honestly did know what Josh pointed out. Like you, I create my passwords.

[Kaleva]

13. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and George "Machine Gun" Kelly are crying right now