Man in His 60s Faces Stalking Charges for Stealing 16 Times From the Same Convenience Store

Mr. A, a man in his 60s who stole ice cream, ramen, and other items sixteen times from the same convenience store, now faces stalking charges under the Stalking Punishment Act in addition to theft. The Stalking Punishment Act penalizes repeatedly visiting and harassing someone against their will.

Seongnam Sujeong Police Station in Gyeonggi Province referred Mr. A to prosecutors without detention on theft charges after he stole items about ten times from a convenience store in Sujeong District, Seongnam, in August. When he stole six more times afterward, police added charges of violating the Stalking Punishment Act and forwarded the case to prosecutors. The victimized store owner reportedly reported him to police, expressing fear and anxiety, saying, "I told him multiple times not to come back, but he kept showing up and committing crimes." A police official said, "We determined that stalking charges were applicable because he repeatedly came to commit crimes against the victim's will."

Investigation results confirmed that Mr. A, who had no particular occupation, chose the convenience store near his residence to commit the crimes. He was found not to have been drinking or under the influence of drugs at the time of the offenses.

Recently, the court also found Mr. A's stalking charges valid. It issued a provisional order under Article 4 of the Stalking Punishment Act, placing him in a detention center for one month.