In Zlatoust, a town in the Chelyabinsk region, law enforcement officers intercepted a car thief who chose to sleep inside a car parked near a cemetery. The arrest occurred after a pursuit by police teams, and the incident was later confirmed through a Telegram update from the region’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to the police report, the detained man admitted that his car keys had been left in the ignition. He had driven to a cemetery and took a brief rest there. When the engine remained running and the temperature dropped, the man attempted to warm himself, eventually causing the vehicle to catch fire. The burning car was later extinguished by responding responders, but the episode had already drawn attention from nearby residents and authorities.
The vehicle involved was a VAZ-2115, registered to a local resident born in 1991. After discovering the loss, the owner contacted local police authorities. The detainee has a prior record, including several previous convictions, and was currently under house arrest. A criminal case has been initiated under part 1 of article 166 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which covers theft. If found guilty, the suspect could face a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
In a separate development, authorities reported an unrelated incident from the Moscow region, noting that a pedestrian attempted to cross the Moscow Ring Road and allegedly discharged a firearm, damaging two vehicles in the process. This separate report is not connected to the Zlatoust case and was issued as part of ongoing police activity across the region.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that盗 the incident in Zlatoust underscores the risks associated with attempting to evade authorities, especially when in possession of stolen property. The local police are continuing investigations, collecting evidence from the scene, and reviewing surveillance footage to establish a complete timeline of events surrounding the theft, the attempted rest, and the subsequent arson. The case is being processed within the framework of Russian criminal procedure, and the public is urged to refrain from speculation while authorities finalize the facts.