A farmer was arrested on Monday for breaking into a local 70-year-old man’s home and stealing a number of valuables, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Chan Nam said at a special press conference yesterday.
Ho said that the 30-year-old burglar surnamed Wang is a tourist from the mainland who told the police that he’s a farmer. The victim is living alone in a flat on Rua da Ponte Negra in Taipa.
According to Ho, on Sunday night after the victim came home from dinner with his family members, he saw that the main door was ajar, after which he discovered that his home had been burgled, with his jade pendant, gold jewellery, watches, cash and commemorative banknotes gone. The victim called the police at once and estimated the stolen property to be worth 82,000 patacas.
Ho said that from the evidence the police deduced that the burglar broke into the second-floor flat by climbing up the metal bars on the building and entering the flat through the balcony, in order to burgle the victim’s home. He left through the main door.
CCTV footage also showed that after Wang left the scene, he went to several currency exchange shops and pawn shops, according to Ho.
Wang was arrested in a hotel guestroom in the central district on Monday afternoon. In the guestroom, the police found the booty in his pockets, inside his luggage and under the bed, Ho said, adding that the victim confirmed that they were his belongings. A pair of white gloves and a screwdriver were also found. Under questioning, Wang denied the items were stolen, but could not explain how he acquired them.
Wang was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Officer (MP) yesterday, facing an aggravated theft charge, Ho said.
Evidence seized from the burglar such as necklaces, cash and commemorative banknotes are displayed at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters in Zape yesterday.
– Photo: William Chan
