A law school graduate student in New Taipei City (新北市), fearing the imminent end of the world, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly committing robbery.
The graduate student, surnamed Su (蘇), allegedly rushed out of his house in his slippers at about noon on Wednesday, bringing only a copy of the Compilation of the Laws of the Republic of China and a Bible with him.
Surveillance camera footage from the community where the student lives showed that he shoved another man to the ground, before forcibly taking the man’s shoes and umbrella.
The student then rushed to the bus stop across the street and asked a foreign English teacher, who was waiting for the bus, for some money. Su then snatched NT$11 out of the teacher’s hand despite the teacher’s objections.
Before Su could flee, a police patrol car drove by, stopped and arrested him.
The police said the student claimed that he had been watching disaster movies, such as 2012, and he suffered a sudden panic attack, brought on by his fears that the end of the world was approaching.
The police said the 33-year-old student claimed he has a history of mental illness and suspended for school two years ago.
The student was referred to the Banciao (板橋) Prosecutors’ Office later that night. Prosecutors sought to detain him, but the court released him without bail and limited Su to his residence after he pled guilty.
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