[Exclusive] The man who turned off the pet cam and stole cash was the neighbor next door... Prosecutors seek two years in prison

[Financial News] Prosecutors have sought a prison sentence for a man in his 30s who was sent to trial on charges of breaking into a neighbor's home through the rooftop of a villa and stealing cash.
According to the legal community on the 1st, the 13th Single-Judge Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Court, presided over by Judge Nam Min-young, held a closing hearing on the 28th of last month for Choi, 38, who was indicted while in custody on charges of trespassing and theft.
Prosecutors asked the court to sentence him to two years in prison, saying, "The defendant committed the crime while on probation for a similar offense, and he has not reached a settlement with the victim."
Choi's lawyer said, "We admit all the charges," but argued that "the amount of damage was not large, and the crime appears to have been committed more on impulse than as a planned act." The lawyer also said the defense had not narrowed its differences with the victim over the settlement amount, but plans to deposit more than the amount of the loss.
The lawyer added, "The victim is very afraid of running into the defendant again, but the defendant is going through divorce proceedings and can no longer live at that house."
In his final statement, Choi pleaded for leniency, saying, "I sincerely apologize to the victim, who has been hurt and made to feel uneasy even in the home that should have been a place of comfort because of my crime." He added, "I am ashamed and resent myself for not thinking of the victim and her young daughter at the moment I committed the crime."
Choi was indicted on charges of sneaking into the victim's home, located on an upper floor of a villa in Doksan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, on the morning of March 27 and stealing several hundred thousand won in cash.
At the time of the crime, Choi was found to have climbed onto the villa rooftop and then descended toward the victim's window before entering the home. Investigators said he had learned through the villa's group chat that a pet cam had been installed in the victim's home, and that he cut power to the entire house immediately after breaking in, stopping the pet cam from working.
The power switch was reportedly hidden behind a picture frame, making it difficult for anyone who did not live in the villa to find its location.
Seoul Geumcheon Police Station identified Choi as a suspect by comparing the times when the pet cam connection was interrupted and restored on the victim's phone with the times Choi was captured entering and leaving on the villa's CCTV. Police also arrested Choi on March 31 on an emergency basis, based on evidence including footprints found on the victim's veranda that matched the pattern of his shoes.
The sentencing hearing for Choi is scheduled for the 11th.
[email protected] Park Sung-hyun Reporter