Alleged burglar caught after pausing mid-robbery to read book

ROME, Italy (WKRC) - A man was caught in the middle of an attempted robbery when he stopped to read a book, according to reports.

The unnamed 38-year-old suspect allegedly broke into the apartment in the Italian capital through a balcony, but quickly got sidetracked when he noticed a book about Homer's Iliad on the bedside table.

The 71-year-old who owned the home (and was present in it at the time of the break in) allegedly found the suspect and confronted him, but he was busy with his nose buried in the book.

The suspect allegedly attempted to escape through the same balcony he entered on, but was soon found and arrested.

The author of the book was pleased the hear his work had caused such a distraction, and told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, "It's fantastic. I'd like to find the person caught red-handed and give him the book, because he'll have been arrested halfway through reading it. I'd like him to be able to finish it."

The paper identified the book as "The Gods at Six O'Clock" by Giovanni Nucci.

The suspect allegedly claimed that he was climbing the balcony to visit a friend who lived in the same building.

"I thought I had ended up in a B&B, saw the book and started to read it," the suspect claimed, according to BBC.