A local man was arrested for burgling four shops within a month, stealing a total of about 16,400 patacas in cash, a Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson said in a special press conference yesterday.
The suspect surnamed Lo is a casual worker aged 34. Lo used to work part-time for three of the shops he burgled.
The spokesperson said that PJ officers received separate reports from four shops in the northern district and in the Avenida de Horta e Costa area from April 22 to May 7, which reported losses varying from 1,000 to 7,600 patacas.
As Lo knew the passwords of the e-gates in the northern-district shops where he had worked part-time before, Lo entered the shops after the shopkeepers had left their premises at night so that he could burgle them, the spokesperson said.
The food shop in the Costa area where the suspect used to work part-time is located in a shopping mall, the spokesperson said, adding that the suspect first hid in the public toilet of the mall before entering the shop after the mall had closed for the day to steal cash from the shop, and then left the mall using the rear staircase.
As for another food shop in the northern district where he had not worked, Lo noticed that the e-gate was unlocked when he happened to walk past the shop, the spokesperson said, adding that Lo immediately opened the gate to burgle the shop.
The police intercepted Lo on Wednesday in Avenida Norte do Hipódromo. Lo admitted to the burglary spree and claimed that he had used the ill-gotten money for his daily living expenses.
Under investigation, the police discovered that Lo had gained anti-detection knowledge and often used masks, hats, wigs and raincoats as a cover when committing the crimes, and he also often changed his clothes to avoid being tracked down by the police, the spokesperson said.
The police also discovered that the suspect was involved in a number of fraud and theft cases, as well as incidents involving prohibited weapons, between 2017 and 2022, the spokesperson said.
Lo has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing aggravated theft charges, according to the spokesperson.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded burglary suspect from the PJ headquarters in Zape to a vehicle yesterday. – Photo courtesy of TDM
