Four local men were arrested separately on Sunday for attacking a 17-year-old boy only because he looked at them in Praça do Centro Cultural earlier that day, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said at a press conference yesterday.
The four suspects comprise a 23-year-old waiter surnamed Ieong, a 26-year-old casual worker surnamed Tam, a 30-year-old driver surnamed Hoi and a 32-yaer-old construction site supervisor surnamed Ng.
According to Chong, a resident reported to the police early on Sunday that his friend was attacked by several people in Praça do Centro Cultural. The resident told the police that he and the victim were going home after skateboarding. When they were walking through the square, there was a group of men and women who seemed to be quarrelling. Some members of the group then berated the duo for “looking at” them, after which the group surrounded them. The victim’s friend managed to escape, after which the group attacked the victim. One of them snatched the victim’s skateboard and hit him hard on the head with it. When the victim collapsed unconscious the group ran away. The victim’s friend returned to the scene to check on his mate and reported the case to the police.
Chong said the Public Security Police (PSP) arrested Tam, Hoi and Ieong near the Fisherman’s Wharf later that day and transferred the case to the Judiciary Police on the same day. Under questioning, the trio denied that they committed the crime and that they had not been at the crime scene. PJ officers arrested Ng at his home in Areia Preta district later that day.
A doctor confirmed that the victim sustained an open skull fracture which required surgery. At the time of the press conference his condition was not life-threatening. The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation to look for other suspects who were still on the run at the time of the press conference, according to Chong, who did not reveal the exact number of the group that attacked the youth.
The quartet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Monday morning, facing charges of causing serious bodily harm, according to Chong.
