Some Sneaky Sim

Some Sneaky Sim is a pre-made NPC first introduced in The Sims, he is the first burglar to appear in the franchise and the only burglar that robs Sims' houses in The Sims. He will only try to steal the expensive items that are in the household. A Sim can call the police once he arrives on a lot, though they will probably not arrive in time to arrest him. If he comes within range of a burglar alarm, it will automatically summon the police. Unlike burglars from The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, he will surrender and go peacefully when the police arrive.

Most of the times, the burglar will arrive late at night, when Sims are asleep. Occasionally though, he may appear when Sims are still awake. When he arrives, time will automatically be set at the slowest speed, playing one of the two "danger themes." If Live PIP is enabled, a popup box on the lower-right of the screen with an image of the burglar and text saying "Burglar!" will appear. Build and buy modes are disabled until the burglar is finished with the theft and is beginning to leave. If the family has a baby, there is a chance that he may take the baby with him. The burglar will spend his time stealing as many items as he can and escape before the cops arrive. If the police come after the burglar has escaped, they can't reimburse the loss. If they do, however, catch the burglar, the family will receive §1,000 plus the current value of whatever was stolen; stolen items are not returned, but are instead taken away as evidence. At times, a family will be reimbursed for an item that the burglar did not manage to steal.

Burglars are attracted to families that do not have dirty houses and are in possession of expensive items, such as a computer or a television. It is impossible to actually predict when the burglar will come, nonetheless.

If a burglar steals an item, an automatic picture will be taken and saved in the family's photo album. An additional picture of him being apprehended will be taken if the police arrive and arrest him.

Build and Buy modes are re-enabled as soon as the burglar is finished stealing and is attempting to escape. The player may attempt to trap the burglar, but such efforts are fruitless, as the burglar will disappear automatically after a period of time. Oddly, if the police were called before or during this time, they will not appear until after the burglar vanishes.

In Sims Unleashed, there is a glitch associated with this burglar. When El Bandito makes his appearance and then leaves, the burglar will commonly appear and then quickly disappear, usually without any notice. The "danger theme" will still play, and Build and Buy modes will still disable and re-enable themselves, confusing players who aren't aware of the glitch.