[esenesesinas]

A teenager caught burgling a building jumped to his death from the fifth floor after he was surprised in the act by a security guard in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang district early on Thursday morning.

The 16-year-old broke into building No15 in Baan Ua-arthorn low-cost housing estate in tambon Khlong Nuang in the early hours, police said.

He was seen and confronted by Kanong Kamnoi, 52, a security guard on the fifth floor, said Pol Lt Wichian Muansuwan, duty officer at Khlong Luang police station.

Mr Kanong told police he shone his flashlight on the youth after he saw him emerge from one of the rooms and was taken by surprise when the burglar suddenly jumped from the veranda of the 5th floor and hit the ground, seriously hurting himself.

Mr Kanong said he checked on the young man's condition and then went to get help, but when he returned he was already dead.

Pol Lt Wichian said police found a fertiliser sack containing at least 50 stainless faucets and a shoulder bag full of burglary equipment and electric wires on the fifth floor.

Mr Kanong said he asked the teenager why he had made such a daredevil jump, and the boy said he was scared of being arrested, and that he came with two friends but did not know their whereabouts, the security guard told police.