How far would you go to pay for a new phone? (Photo: iStock)

A teenage tourist from the Netherlands was caught stealing a roof tile from the ruins of Pompeii. Why? To buy iPhone.

The 16-year-old was putting the artifact into his backpack at the historical Italian site, when an American bystander took notice and notified security. The teen was stopped by police before he could exit the premises. He later explained that he intended to smuggle the tile so he could sell it on eBay, and buy an iPhone with the earnings.

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A Roman artifacts dealer told English-speaking Italian newspaper, The Local, that the terracotta tile would have covered the cost of about two iPhones.

“Being a tile from Pompeii, its provenance might have given it some extra value, but I’d say it’s worth a maximum of €400,” (about $444) trader Carole Elena told The Local. “But obviously items like this are priceless in terms of their historical value,” she added. For reference, an iPhone 6 has a starting price of $199.

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This isn’t the first time the ancient volcanic ruins, the second most visited Italian landmark after The Colosseum, became a site for tourist shenanigans. A year ago, a Frenchman and two Italian women were charged with trespassing after police found them engaged in ménage à trois in the Suburban Baths.

Unlike last year’s offenders, however, the Dutch teen was ­­­­charged with attempted theft. Since he is a minor he was handed to his mother, The Local reports. He gave the tile back to Pompeii staff, but neither he nor the American witness could remember the exact spot it was taken from.

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