Legal analysis: it depends on the value of the things stolen, if only a few dozen things or one or two hundred things, a violation of public security management, to be administrative punishment can be. If it has reached the filing standards of theft, then it will be as a criminal case, need to be tried by the court. The filing standard for theft is between 1,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan, depending on the amount determined by the local province. In addition, it should be noted that if the old man is to go to people's homes to steal things, then no matter what is stolen, whether the theft is successful or not is to file a case, because it is a burglary.
Legal basis: "Chinese People's *** and State Criminal Law" Article 264 Theft of public and private property, the amount of larger, or repeated theft, burglary, carrying a weapon theft, pickpocketing, shall be sentenced to less than three years of fixed-term imprisonment, detention or control, and or a single fine; the amount of a huge or other serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to more than three years ten years of fixed-term imprisonment, and shall be punished by a fine; the amount of a huge or other particularly serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to more than three years ten years, and shall be punished by a fine; the amount of a huge or other particularly serious circumstances. Especially large or other particularly serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to more than ten years of fixed-term imprisonment or life imprisonment, and shall be fined or confiscated property.