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An alleged thief was caught in Rome after sitting down to read a book during a burglary, according to Italian media.
The 38-year-old is accused of using the balcony of a building to break into an apartment while the owner slept.
However, once inside, he became distracted by a book on a bedside table, and halted the burglary so he could read.
According to local media, the 71-year-old homeowner woke up and confronted the man, who was sitting down on a bed, engrossed in the pages.
The alleged thief tried to escape, but was arrested shortly afterward.
The man told police he was not breaking in, but trying to visit someone he knew, Italian media reported.
The book, Gli Dei alle sei. L’Iliade all’ora dell’aperitivo, examines Homer’s Iliad from the point of view of the gods.
Author Giovanni Nucci told Il Messaggero he would like to connect with the alleged thief so he could give him his own copy of the book.