A teenager who might have been trying to burglarize a North Hills home got stuck in its chimney and had to scream for help, police said.

It happened about 10:05 a.m. today, LAPD Sgt. Evy Arocho told the Weekly. The juvenile had to be rescued by the L.A. Fire Department, she said:

He was then detained for questioning and was being brought back to the LAPD's Mission Division station as we spoke, according to the sergeant.

The Mission Division had a little fun with this one, tweeting:

It happened at a home in the 9700 block of Orion Avenue, Arocho said. Witnesses called about a screaming person in the area, she said. Lt. Paul Vernon said from the scene that a witness reported a woman screaming. Turned out it was a boy.

Vernon also said another wit reported seeing someone go into the chimney.


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The kid got about 10 feet down the chimney before hitting the flue: “Just as well,” Mission tweeted, because a pit bull was waiting for him at ground level.

Could have been worse.

[Added at 1:19 p.m.]: The LAFD stated that the rescue, involving “specialized USAR rope systems & an aerial truck ladder,” took about 30 minutes.

The boy was estimated by rescuers to be 16. They provided him with oxygen while he was being rescued, the LAFD said.

He suffered only “abrasions,” according to the department.

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