A jobless local man who has a gambling habit was arrested on Sunday for damaging and stealing valuables from four cars at the weekend, Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Choi Iok Kin said at yesterday’s press conference in the PSP press room.
The suspect surnamed Leong is in his thirties.
According to Choi, the Public Security Police received reports from four victims on Saturday and Sunday that their cars parked on different floors of a car park in a residential estate in Rua Oito do Bairro Iao Hon were damaged and broken into.
The first victim told the police that the car’s two quarter windows had been damaged and three red envelopes containing coins had vanished.
The second victim reported to the police that one quarter window had been damaged, but without any property lost.
The third victim told the police that a pair of sunglasses, two pairs of new shoes as well as several coins, worth 4,500 patacas in total, had vanished from the unlocked car.
The fourth victim reported to the police that one quarter window of the vehicle had been damaged, but no valuables lost.
Choi said that the Public Security Police investigating the four car break-ins assumed that all of them were committed by the same suspect as the modus operandi was similar and the crimes were committed in the same car park. PSP officers scrutinised the car park and nearby area’s CCTV footage and discovered that a man left the car park early on Thursday, carrying two shoe boxes. The officers also discovered that the same man was walking around and checking some cars in the car park on Saturday, carrying a translucent plastic bag with a hammer inside.
The officers then identified Leong as the suspect and arrested him on Sunday at his home which is a building in the same residential estate. The officers seized the hammer and retrieved the sunglasses, two pairs of shoes as well as more than 300 patacas in cash in Leong’s home.
Under questioning, Leong admitted to committing the crimes because he is addicted to gambling and has been jobless for some time. He told the police that each time before going on a stealing trip he would have a couple of drinks to get liquid courage.
The Public Security Police believe that there are more theft victims as there were some other stolen items such as a red watch seized from the Leong’s flat, according to Choi.
Leong has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing charges of aggravated theft and property damage, according to Choi.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) yesterday shows the theft suspect being escorted by PSP officers to a police station.
Evidence seized from the theft suspect such as two pairs of shoes, a pair of sunglasses and some coins is displayed at the Public Security Police (PSP) press room yesterday. Photo: Camy Tam
