A Krasnoyarsk man has been detained after allegedly threatening to bite a street vendor and infect her with HIV in a robbery attempt, Interfax reported on Wednesday.
"The man vaulted over the counter, threw the vendor to the floor, and, leaning over her, said he was infected with HIV and would bite her if she didn't give him all the money in the kiosk," a police spokesperson said.
The clerk said the money was hidden in a freezer in the back room, and the man made off with about 30,000 rubles ($950) and the clerk's mobile phone. He was apprehended shortly thereafter.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HIV transmission via bites is extremely rare and requires a vicious chomp. "Bites that do not involve broken skin have no risk for HIV transmission, as intact skin acts as a barrier to HIV transmission," the agency said on its web site.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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