NEW YORK (UPI) -- An alleged New York burglar was caught making his getaway when he got stuck sliding down an apartment building chimney.

Serafin Sanchez -- the 5-foot-2, 120-pound alleged thief -- was pulled from the chimney early Sunday after the owner heard cries for help and called police.

The New York Daily News reports Sanchez is believed to have been involved in a string of burglaries in the Hell’s Kitchen area where jewelry and credit cards had been stolen.

Police were called around 1:30 a.m. Sunday and began to chase Sanchez. As he slithered his way down a 1-foot-square chimney stack, he got stuck.

Police knocked a hole in the brick chimney and pulled out Sanchez, allegedly with the booty still in his pocket, and took him to St. Vincent Hospital Manhattan, the Daily News said.

Dominique Singer, the owner of the building, not only has to pay to have the chimney fixed but can’t use the boiler in the building and faces a violation from the fire department. She was told to sue the city to pay for the damage.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 05/15/2006