A burglary was so into computer games he forgot why he broker into a strangers home until owner returns. Photo: Screenshot from video by Litchi Video

A thief managed to enter a stranger's apartment but seemingly forgot why he was there and started playing video games on the owner's computer until he ended up being startled when the resident returned home. 

The homeowner apparently felt sorry for the feckless young thief surnamed Cui and allowed him to leave without calling the police. 

The resident's patience finally snapped when the break-in artist returned the next day asking for the return of his thermos which he said he had left in the apartment the night before.

The thief was arrested by police in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province.

Cui told the police that he found the door of the apartment half open and could see into the apartment where a computer was beckoning him to come and play games, according to Litchi Video on Sina Weibo on Tuesday. 

Cui told Duan he only entered the apartment to play video games and then left in a hurry, a local police officer said.  

Duan didn't report Cui to the police because only about a dozen of coins were missing. 

"Video games can actually get you into prison in the end," one netizen commented with irony.

"I don't think he went back for his thermos, he wanted to play computer games," one netizen said. 

Litchi Video