Lei Chunian, who became an unlikely hero at age 15 because of the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, stood trial at Chengdu High-Tech Zone Court in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, on Monday.

The hero who gained national fame is suspected of cheating more than 460,000 yuan ($75,410) from 21 people, including his ex-girlfriend.

When the magnitude-8.0 quake struck in May 2008, Lei was playing in the corridor on the second floor of his school, Cifeng Town High School in Pengzhou, Sichuan.