Man goes on burglary spree to make life 'fulfilling'

Police in Wusheng county, Sichuan province, said they have arrested a thief who stacked his loot in his tiny room like a small department store.

Tan never sold or used the items he stole, police said. He told police that stealing things enabled him to “reduce life's pressures” and create a sense of fulfillment, Chengdu Economic Daily reported.

From August 2012 to December 2013, Tan broke into more than 20 houses in the county during the daytime, police said. The items he stole, they said, amount to about 300,000 yuan ($49,180) and included 21 laptops, 64 mobile phones, 41 necklaces, 29 earrings, 23 bracelets, 13 rings, 29 wallets, 11 watches, 20 packs of cigarettes, 12 handbags as well as clothes and rubber footwear.

Tan had been a truck driver and reportedly had a comfortable lifestyle during his career. In 2010, he struck and killed a person while driving his truck, police said. He then sold the truck and used the money to pay the compensation to the victim's family.

He later tried his hands at running a restaurant, but was unsuccessful. He lived separately from his wife, who he often quarreled with, Chengdu Economic Daily reported. It was at this point in his life that he began his burglary spree, police said.