Burglar Sniffs Out Wrong House, Is Felled by Fumes

A burglar who sniffed opportunity Saturday in an unoccupied Sepulveda house that was being fumigated got a potentially deadly dose of pesticides instead, authorities said.

The unidentified transient was critically injured when he was overcome by fumes inside the tarpaulin-covered residence, Los Angeles police said.

He was rushed by paramedics to Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills after neighbors noticed him staggering outside the tented Labrador Street home, investigators said. A hospital spokeswoman said the man, described as about 25 or 30, was in critical condition.

Police said the burglar apparently ignored signs posted by exterminators that warned in English and Spanish that the covered home was unsafe to enter.

Investigators said the intruder apparently entered the house at about 4 a.m. and removed a videotape recorder, bottles of wine and other valuables. After that, he reentered the home to watch television and snack on chips and was overcome by a powerful fumigant, methyl bromide, said Police Sgt. Hans Rollenhagen.

The man, who carried no identification, was semi-coherent when found by rescuers, Rollenhagen said.

A Fire Department hazardous materials squad called to search the house for other victims of the fumes found no one but discovered the residence had been ransacked, Rollenhagen said.