23 Weirdest Real Life Burglar Stories That Are 100% True

During a hunting expedition, Theodore Roosevelt's boat was stolen by wanted men attempting to flee the country. Despite numbing temperatures and icy waters, Roosevelt and his companions built a raft, took it down the river, and captured the thieves 3 days later.

When the native islanders of Guam known as the Chamorros met Magellan on his ship in 1521, they began to take everything that wasn't nailed down as they were unfamiliar with the concept of private property. Magellan mistook the natives as thieves and attacked, naming the island "The Island of Thieves."

Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, a Great Depression-era gangster and notorious bank robber, endeared himself to the public by destroying mortgage papers at the banks he robbed, freeing many from their debts.

Carl Gugasian, dubbed the "Friday Night Bank Robber", was the most prolific bank robber in U.S. history. A doctoral student and third-degree black belt, he robbed over 50 banks in a 30-year span and was known to be extremely meticulous in his methods.

In 2006, David Copperfield used sleight of hands to trick armed robbers into believing he had nothing even though he was carrying his passport, wallet, and a cell phone.

In 1994, a robber gave himself up to the dozen policemen that appeared in front of the store he had just robbed, only to discover later that they actually were extras working on the set of "The Professional".

In 2011, professional basketball player Lou Williams was nearly robbed at point blank in Philadelphia, until the armed robber recognized him and backed down. Williams later treated the gunman to McDonald's.

In 1971, a thief named Marvin Katko broke into a house and was shot in the legs by a trap set up by the homeowner. The thief sued for damages and won.

In 2012, a burglar tried breaking into the house of a 79-year-old Texas man named Ervin Brittnacher. When he confronted the burglar, instead of talking, he “throat punched [the suspect] and karate chopped the side of his neck," knocking the burglar out cold.

The 1977 New York Blackout was a landmark event in the development of Hip Hop. Looters stole DJ equipment from hi-fi stores, and "the next day there were a thousand new DJs.