A Filipina domestic helper and her boyfriend, who is also a locally employed domestic helper from the Philippines, have been arrested for stealing cash and jewellery from her employer, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said during a special press conference yesterday.
The maid is a 39-year-old woman surnamed Cruzado, while the 47-year-old male suspect is surnamed Leyza.
According to Wong, Cruzado’s employer, a mainland woman, reported to the police the theft of cash and jewellery worth a total of 322,000 patacas from her bedroom drawer back in October. Last week, when the victim’s father briefly stayed at her Taipa flat, 1,500 yuan from his backpack also went missing, prompting another report to the authorities.
With no sign of forced entry and Cruzado being the sole person present at home, suspicion fell on her, Chong said, adding that further investigations unveiled that Leyza had pawned the stolen jewellery for 15,000 patacas at a shop in the Rua da Emenda (義字街) neighbourhood where the suspects lived. The police later recovered the stolen items.
The duo were arrested on Tuesday. They refused to cooperate.
The duo were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday. Cruzado faces an aggravated theft charge, while Leyza faces charges of fencing and fraud.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the two hooded suspects from the Philippines to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photo: William Chan
