Kidnapped engineer leaps to freedom from 3rd floor apartment
A Beijing engineer, who was reportedly kidnapped by the landlord of a flat he wanted to rent, said he escaped by jumping off from the third floor apartment on Friday.
Hao Guohua, a 36-year-old engineer, went to view an apartment last Tuesday for his parents. They currently live in Tangshan, Hebei province.
After reading an advertisement on Ganji.com, a free classifieds website, Li made an appointment with the landlord to view a Heping street apartment in Chaoyang district on Tuesday evening.
However, as soon as Hao entered the room, he said the landlord - reportedly in his twenties with long hair - locked the door and put a knife to his throat. He took money and a mobile phone.
The landlord then tied Hao up and kept him in the flat for two days, according to the Mirror Evening News, without saying the reason why.
"I kept talking to him to keep him awake and make him feel more tired. I escaped when he finally fell asleep," Hao told the paper.
Hao was sent to hospital after he jumped from the apartment, located on the third floor of the building.
An unnamed doctor at the China and Japan Friendship Hospital said Hao's situation is stable, although he had fractured his lumbar and was being treated for a 4 cm cut on his neck.
Chaoyang Public Security Bureau arrived 20 minutes after local security guards dialed 110. Police said a suspect surnamed Chen had been detained and they are now investigating the case.
As the Chinese New Year approaches and house hunting becomes more popular, Chaoyang police are telling the public to be cautious.
"The public should get their information from housing agencies instead of from online," said a police officer who declined to be named.
"We also suggest taking a partner when meeting with potential landlords."
(China Daily 01/11/2010 page26)
