Hong Kong police have arrested a man who followed an elderly woman who had withdrawn new banknotes for Lunar New Year red envelopes, then robbed her of HK$5,200 (US$668) in cash and stole other belongings from her home.
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Acting chief inspector Chan Hok-lun of the force’s Tuen Mun district on Sunday reported the aggravated burglary case involving a 77-year-old female victim who had withdrawn the notes from a bank in Tuen Mun on Saturday.
“She later took the light rail home. Simultaneously, a local man, suspected of noticing the victim carrying cash as she left the bank, trailed her along the way,” Chan said.
“As she prepared to enter her home, the man suddenly revealed a pair of scissors he had on him and then forced the victim into the house. He proceeded to ransack the place and eventually fled after stealing her cash, phone, Octopus card and other belongings.”
He said officers immediately reviewed CCTV footage and conducted intelligence analysis to identify the man’s distinctive features, as well as his escape route, after the Tuen Mun district received a report at 1pm.
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The victim was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital. She sustained no injuries and was discharged on the same day.
The acting chief inspector added that a joint operation by officers of the New Territories North Regional Police Headquarters’ Tuen Mun and Mong Kok districts successfully arrested a 49-year-old local man in Mong Kok at 3pm for aggravated burglary.