A mentally ill woman set alight a paper printed with a QR code and some plastic cups placed in front of a real estate shop to calm herself down, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said during a regular press conference yesterday.
The local suspect surnamed Ng aged 54 is jobless, Lou said, adding that her family members told the police that she had undergone treatment for her illness in the mainland over a decade ago, and in recent years she started burning random things, and refused to visit a local doctor.
According to Lou, the owner of a real estate company reported to the police on Monday that earlier that day a paper printed with a QR code as well as three plastic cups were set on fire, adding that last week another QR code and plastic cups were also burnt in a similar fashion in front of their shop.
Lou said CCTV footage showed that Ng had committed arson in front of the shop on three occasions. On October 18, Ng burnt a paper printed with a QR code stuck on the wall outside; last Thursday she set on fire some tissues and three plastic cups placed near an altar; and on Monday she ignited three other plastic cups and a plastic bag.
Lou underlined that the owner does not know the suspect.
Under questioning, Ng said that she was “disturbed” by the QR code hung in front of the real estate shop, adding that therefore she had used a lighter to set the QR code and other things on fire to calm herself. Lou added that police officers found seven lighters in her bedroom.
Ng was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Monday, facing charges of causing property damage and dangerous conduct, Lou said.
