A clumsy 19-year-old man was arrested on Friday morning after Hong Kong police officers recovered the suspect’s wallet at the crime scene of a robbery in Mong Kok on Thursday.
At 3am, a 37-year-old woman surnamed Wong was heading home, carrying a handbag containing HK$40,000 (US$5,134) worth of valuables, including a HK$26,000 gold necklace, a HK$7,000 gold coin, a mobile phone, HK$7,000 in cash and 500 yuan, Oriental Daily reported.
A masked man snatched Wong’s handbag when she reached No 86 Tai Nan Street and fled the scene, the daily said.
She chased after the thief from Cedar Street to Poplar Street, and was about 100 meters behind him. She was almost knocked down by a taxi during the chase.
However, Wong lost track of the man who fled in the direction of Lai Chi Kok Road. She sought help from a passer-by who called the police.
Another passer-by found a wallet and handed it to officers, which contained a HKID card, driver’s license and credit card, Sing Tao Daily reported.
At 7:50am on Friday, the police found the wallet’s owner and also recovered the valuables stolen from Wong in his flat in Kwun Tong.