Suspects are in their 60s, victim in his 70s
Two local women who pretended to be social service volunteers were arrested on Monday for stealing 3,800 patacas from a visually impaired man’s home in the northern district two days earlier, Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Lai In Hong said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The duo, who are in their sixties surnamed Leong and Wai, told the police that they are unemployed. Lai said that Leong had previously worked in a retirement home of a social service organisation and had visited the victim’s home at that time so she knew that the victim lived alone and is visually impaired.
According to Lai, the victim, who is in his seventies, reported to the police on Monday that a woman who told him that she’s a social service volunteer visited him at his home last Saturday. Afterwards, he discovered that 3,800 patacas he had in his living room had vanished. He immediately called the social service organisation which confirmed that the woman was no longer working for them, and that she was not a volunteer for them either.
So he suspected that the woman stole his money.
Lai said PSP officers scrutinised the area’s CCTV footage and arrested Leong at her home in the northern district on the same day. Leong told the police about an accomplice surnamed Wai who was arrested in Avenida Comercial de Macau later that day. Under questioning, the duo told the police that they visited the victim’s home but that only Wai had talked to the victim, pretending that she was a volunteer paying a home visit to the needy. They told the police that they stole a red envelope with HK$300 and 1,510 patacas in cash. Wai said she took HK$100 and 800 patacas while Leong said she took HK$200 and 710 patacas.
However, the victim said that the two women stole 3,800 patacas from him. Lai said the police would continue their investigation into the case.
The duo have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing larceny charges, according to Lai.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Wednesday shows PSP officers escorting the two local theft suspects to a police station in Zape.
