Police have applied a stalking charge, in addition to theft, against a man in his 60s who stole items from a single convenience store more than 10 times.
The Sujeong Police Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, referred the man, identified only as A, to prosecutors without detention, police said on the 2nd. He is accused of stealing ice cream, instant noodles and other goods from a convenience store in Seongnam's Sujeong district on about 10 occasions in August.
Even after the case was referred to prosecutors, the man was caught stealing from the same store six more times. Police then added a charge of violating the Stalking Punishment Act to the existing theft charges and sent the case to prosecutors. The court found the stalking charge valid and ordered that he be held in a detention center for one month.
Police believe the man, who had no steady job, targeted the store because it was close to where he lived. The store owner reported feeling fear and anxiety over the repeated thefts.
