A man in China staged a gas station robbery that netted a mere $23, yet he spent years eluding law enforcement. After the fateful heist, he vanished into the hills and found a hidden shelter in a mountain cave, where days stretched into long, solitary stretches.
The incident involved Liu Mouf, then around thirty, who acted alongside two partners in the robbery. The cash taken was almost negligible—twenty‑three dollars. After the crime, the trio dispersed, and one by one the others were captured. Sensing the net closing in, the remaining accomplice chose to disappear rather than confront immediate arrest.
For years Liu lived off the land, moving through forests in search of edible plants, berries, and wild roots. He occasionally returned to nearby villages to buy essentials such as potatoes and meat. Between excursions, he kept limited contact with his family through brief, hurried exchanges before fading back into solitude.
Relatives urged him to surrender and tell his side of the story, but his resolve stayed intact. It was only in 2023 that the weight of isolation finally pressed hard enough to confront the situation. Over time, Liu recognized the depth of the loneliness he had chosen and the life he had sacrificed—never again sharing in daily family rituals, missing the father’s funeral, the son’s wedding, and the chance to see his grandson grow up.
Presented with the consequences, Liu guided law enforcement to the cave and surrendered voluntarily. He is currently in custody and faces potential imprisonment, with a maximum sentence that could extend for years, depending on how the court weighs the crime and its aftermath.
In regional news, there are mentions of another unlikely figure—a Scotsman who awoke from a coma after decades and lived a hermit’s life for an equally long period. That story highlights the broad spectrum of ways people retreat from the world, whether out of necessity or choice .