In Shanghai, a fruit shop owner reported to the police that over 290 kilograms of watermelons had been stolen over several days. Authorities tracked down the suspect, who had been stealing more than 40 watermelons in just four days and was even seen sitting by the roadside eating them. The suspect claimed to have eaten all the stolen watermelons, sparking widespread discussion online.
The Jing’an District police received a complaint from the fruit shop owner that watermelons stored overnight in a truck parked beside the shop were repeatedly stolen, despite being covered with burlap and tied securely with ropes in the truck’s cargo area.
According to the report, between July 5 and the early morning of July 11, over 40 watermelons weighing more than 290 kilograms were stolen, resulting in a loss of approximately 1,500 RMB (about 6,250 TWD).
Police investigations revealed that between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. from July 5 to 11, a man would quietly approach the truck, cut the ropes with a small knife, lift the covering, select watermelons, and place them into a yellow sack he carried. He then used a small cart to transport the stolen fruit away.
This theft was repeated four times over just a few days. Police quickly identified the suspect, a man surnamed Huang, and located his temporary residence. Huang was arrested within two hours and is currently being held under administrative detention by Jing’an police.
Upon questioning, Huang admitted to multiple thefts of watermelons. He said he initially stole the fruit out of greed after discovering the truck loaded with watermelons. Encouraged by the success of his first theft without detection, his boldness grew, leading him to steal more than ten watermelons at a time in his last two attempts, totaling over 100 kilograms. Huang also claimed he had eaten all the stolen watermelons himself. Surveillance footage showed him sitting by the roadside, continuously eating the fruit.
The news quickly went viral online, with many netizens commenting humorously, saying things like, “How much does he love watermelons?” “That’s true watermelon passion,” “He really loves to eat,” and “He even carefully picked the watermelons.”
