- A man who was trying to burglarize a Maryland house got stuck in a chimney, per WTOP News.
- Two dozen firefighters methodically removed bricks to help free the man, a video shows.
- He suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital with a police escort.
A man suspected of burglarizing a house in Maryland got stuck in the chimney and had to be rescued, WTOP News reported.
Officers responded to a call about an attempted robbery at a home in Montgomery County during the early hours of Saturday morning, a police spokesperson said.
WTOP reported that the man, who has not yet been publicly identified, became trapped in the home's chimney during the attempted break-in.
The man was "not authorized" to be there, said Pete Piringer, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, in a series of tweets.
Montgomery County police spokesperson Shiera Goff told WTOP News that the man was attempting to rob the home when he ended up lodged in the chimney.
Two dozen firefighters were called to assist police in removing the would-be burglar, Piringer added. It took them an hour and a half to free him, per WTOP.
The extrication process involved removing bricks individually and peeling away the wall, photos and videos show.
—Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) January 8, 2022
—Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) January 8, 2022
The man suffered minor injuries, according to WTOP.
He traveled by ambulance to the hospital with a police escort, authorities said.
Similar incidents, in which suspected burglars' plans have gone awry, have occurred in recent years.
In 2018, a man was arrested after he got stuck in a chimney in Claremont, California. Firefighters rescued him after police officers heard screams coming from behind the walls of the fireplace, USA Today reported.
In 2015, a suspected burglar died after becoming stuck in a home's chimney in Fresno, California. He died after the homeowner lit a fire, The Daily Mail reported.