Man held after wave of thefts at Lei Muk Shue Estate, Hong Kong
- The 41-year-old was accused of robbery, burglary and theft, in five offences over eight days
A man was arrested on Monday night accused of going on a crime spree on a Hong Kong public housing estate that culminated in a knifepoint robbery.
The 41-year-old stood accused of robbery, burglary and theft, in five offences over eight days.
In the latest case, a woman was robbed outside Block 5 of Lei Muk Shue Estate, Kwai Chung, shortly before 12.30am on Monday.
A police spokesman said the 29-year-old was threatened with a fruit knife and robbed of HK$640 (US$82). The robber, who was about 1.7 metres tall, fled before officers arrived.
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The victim suffered minor hand injuries and was taken to Yan Chai Hospital in Tsuen Wan.
Less than 24 hours after the hold-up, officers caught the suspect in Lok Shue House on the same estate at 11pm.
The spokesman said the local resident was also believed to be linked to a break-in and three reports of theft at the market on the same estate between June 10 and June 16. He said HK$11,800 in cash and valuables were stolen in the four cases.
By noon on Tuesday, the man was being held at Tsuen Wan police station for questioning, and had not been charged.
Separately, police were called to a house at Fairview Park estate in Yuen Long soon after 9pm on Monday after getting a report of a burglary from a 58-year-old woman.
According to police, a window was prised open and the house had been ransacked.
“Initial investigation showed seven watches and jewellery, worth HK$356,000 in total, were stolen,” the spokesman said.
Police figures show the number of burglary reports rose to 527 across the city in the first four months of this year, up 4.2 per cent from 506 in the same period last year.
