Following a snatch theft at People’s Park Complex in Chinatown yesterday that saw a 14-year-old boy being arrested after being caught and restrained by the shopowner and his brother, another 17-year-old boy has since been arrested in relation to the case.
The boy had told the shopowners after being arrested that he was instructed to steal the chains because he owed money, and that he was taught how to steal the chains by “someone else”.
The Singapore Police Force had established the identity of the 17-year-old boy, who had allegedly given instruction to the younger boy to commit the snatch theft at the shop.
The 17-year-old was arrested yesterday (24 April) at Fernvale Road, Sengkang.
Recap
The boy had earlier entered the shop, Chung Hwa Jade & Jewellery at Chinatown, posing as a customer and wearing a face mask at about 5.30 pm, and told the shop owner at the counter, 45-year-old Mr Teng Wei Siong, that he wanted to look at two gold chains.
Teng, who runs the family owned business with his brother, said that he took out two gold chains to show the boy, but the latter then requested to see some heavier chains.
The shop owner then took out two other heavier gold chains to show the boy, as he then turned his back to put the earlier gold chains back into their casings.
CCTV footage then showed that Teng’s back was turned, the boy then told the gold chains and fled the scene, running out of the shop.
Teng turned around and saw what happened and started chasing after the boy along with his 39-year-old brother Teng Wei Xin, and they managed to catch and restrain him.
They then brought the boy back into their shop before calling the police for help, as the boy started crying and pleading with them.