Catholic World News News Feature
Interlopers try to steal, sell water from Pope's garden hose March 13, 2007
Bavarian police have foiled a bizarre scheme to steal water from a garden hose in a house that belongs to Pope Benedict XVI.
Police in Pentling, a suburb of Regensburg, arrested a man who identified himself as freelance journalist who was caught videotaping a break-in at the Pope’s house. Three men-- who have to date escaped capture-- were drawing water from the garden hose while the “journalist” taped the event. Officials in Pentling say that the water from the Pope’s garden was to be sold on the internet auction site, Ebay.
Attention from neighbors drove the interlopers away, and Hubertus Wiendl was captured because witnesses took note of his license-plate number. The defendant-- who tried unsuccessfully to call Pope Benedict as a witness at his court hearing-- was fined $134 for his role in the unusual crime.
