ROSTOV-ON-DON, March 14 (RIA Novosti) - A thief in southern Russia failed miserably to rob two shops just a month after being released from prison, a police spokesman said Friday.

The 42-year-old man from the Yegorlyksk village, in the Rostov Region, tried to rob a shop using a hand-made replica gun on Wednesday, but fled empty handed when the sales assistant started screaming hysterically.

"He fled the shop, jumped on his motorcycle and set off for another village," the spokesman said.

The burglar rode to a second shop and again demanded the sales assistant hand over cash, but the man panicked when the shop owner and another customer came in and surprised him.

The unlucky robber was detained at a nearby gas station. He is currently being held at a temporary detention facility. Police are considering whether to prosecute.