Police in China use DNA from blood in dead mosquitoes that bit criminal during burglary to catch culprit
- A burglar broke into an apartment, cooked a meal and then stayed the night
- Police found dead mosquitoes and blood marks on the wall enabling them to trace the thief using his DNA
On June 11, in Fuzhou, Fujian province, southeastern China, a thief broke into a residential compound at around 1pm. The thief stole several valuable items, according to a report released by Fuzhou Public Security on its WeChat account.
The door was closed from the inside when the police arrived, and they discovered the thief had entered the apartment from the balcony.
After breaking in, the burglar cooked eggs and noodles before spending the night. He used a blanket in the owner’s bedroom and lit mosquito coils. Police found two dead mosquitoes and blood smears on the living room wall.
The police quickly came to the conclusion that the two blood stains had been left by the suspect as the property was freshly painted, and reasoned that if they were left by the occupants, they would have cleaned the walls.
Blood samples were then taken off the wall by police, who subsequently sent it for DNA testing against their records.
The DNA sample matched exactly that of a known criminal, surnamed Chai, who was later detained on June 30.
