It seems fairly common for burglars to treat themselves to a snack while they are burgling — occasionally one will even stop to make himself an omelette or something like that — but it may become less so if this story is widely distributed in the burglar community.

A 37-year-old man was reportedly linked to an April burglary in Darmstadt, Germany, by saliva-borne DNA he left on a slice of salami he snacked on during the crime.  German police announced on January 31 that the suspect, who was already in custody on suspicion of committing 19 other burglaries, had been linked to the Darmstadt theft by the DNA evidence.

A police spokesman said that the man had broken into the office of a workshop, stole cash and caused damage worth about 3,400 euros (now, sadly, worth over $5,000).  It was not clear whether that valuation included the damage to the salami, which the burglar happened across at the scene.  "He didn’t bring the salami with him," the spokesman said.  "It was just lying around in the office."

You can now add one to your list of reasons not to eat a piece of salami that you find "just lying around," especially if you are in the middle of a crime.  And if you can’t resist taking a bite, in the age of DNA analysis be aware that you had better eat the whole thing to get rid of the evidence.

Link: Reuters