A man broke into Romania’s Parliament early Monday after scaling a wall and smashing a window, police said. He told officers he mistook the giant building for his hotel.
Guards caught him after he’d climbed the stairs to the third floor. They handed him over to police. He was detained for 24 hours.
The man who police identified as an Irish citizen was apparently the worse for wear. He told police he thought the parliament_ a massive palace built by late Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu_ was his hotel.
Following the questioning, prosecutors have opened a file on charges of trespassing and destroying government property.
The incident occurred at about 4 am Monday morning. “He didn’t get into any office,” the statement said.
During questioning, he told police that he’d planned to travel to the central city of Brasov that day. Police did not release his identity or say whether he was a tourist or resident.
The investigation will focus on how he managed to get into the building and in what circumstances.