A man with a mental illness was arrested on Monday for burning his neighbour’s “fai chun” (a traditional good luck decoration) and a bunch of willow branches hanging on her door, as well as squirting glass glue into the keyhole and doorframe of the flat in Ilha Verde district, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said at a press conference yesterday.
Lou identified the suspect as an unemployed 49-year-old local, surnamed Chan, adding that according to the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS), Chan has a moderate mental disability. Lou said the victim is a local female, surnamed Hoi, who told the police that she lost 20,000 patacas worth of property in the incident.
No one was hurt in the incident.
Lou said that the Judiciary Police launched an investigation after receiving a call from the Fire Services Bureau (CB) and the Public Security Police (PSP) on April 5, saying that a “fai chun” and a bunch of willow branches had been burnt outside a flat in Ilha Verde district. The fire also burnt the door, Lou said, while the keyhole and the doorframe were both stuck with glass glue.
According to Lou, the Judiciary Police suspected Chan who was living across the hall from the victim’s home. With the help of the building’s surveillance system, Lou said the police discovered that Chan went to a lower floor after he set the fire. On that floor, Lou said, PJ officers found the tools of the crime inside a bin, including a lighter and glass glue tubes.
Lou said that Chan refused to admit to the crime at first, and the police could not find the necessary evidence to link Chan with the crime. Lou added that the police then took a DNA sample from Chan and discovered that Chan’s DNA matched that on the crime tools, and confronted Lou again on Monday with the new evidence.
However, Lou said that in the face of the evidence presented to him, Chan still declined to confess, claiming that he had no idea why the items in the bin would have his DNA on them and insisted on his innocence. Chan was transferred to the Prosecutions Office (MP) on Monday, facing charges of causing property damage and dangerous conduct.
