Man Steals Phone from Ebola Patient, Gets Ebola
If you're looking to break into petty thievery, remember that it's always a good idea to case your mark. For instance, if you're mugging people, you don't want to run into a damn Ultimate Fighting bruiser. Likewise, if you're snatching cellphones in Uganda, you probably want to make sure that the person whose property you're after doesn't have one of the most horrifying illnesses in modern history:
Security and medical officials in Kibaale District have registered a case in which a man allegedly went in an isolation ward at Kagadi Hospital and stole a cellular phone from one of the Ebola patients.
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The suspect allegedly broke into the isolation ward on the night of Tuesday August 14, undetected by hospital guards. The patient, who has since succumbed to the deadly hemorrhagic fever, then reported the theft to the hospital security that then embarked on tracing the alleged thief.
Police detectives began tracking him after he apparently began communicating to his friends using the phone. But as police zeroed in on him, he developed symptoms similar to those of Ebola and sought medication at the hospital.
Late last month, health officials discovered that Uganda and the Congo were in the midst of new and highly deadly Ebola outbreaks. The phone this now sick man stole was worth 60,000 Ugandan shillings, which translates to about $24. It probably wasn't worth it.
