- The two 13-year-olds and their friends allegedly took the woman’s watch and handbag, leaving her with injuries to her head, arms and legs
- Police said they are searching for three other teenagers – two boys and a girl
Two 13-year-old schoolboys have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman and stealing her watch and handbag, Hong Kong police said on Tuesday.
Officers are scouring the city for another three teenagers " two boys and one girl " in connection with the mugging that happened in Mong Kok's Tai Kok Tsui area shortly after 11.30pm on Monday.
The victim " a 51-year-old woman " was walking home alone when she was attacked at the junction of Man On Street and Wai On Street.
"The victim fell to the floor when the youth gang tried to snatch her handbag from behind," a police source said. "They then punched and kicked her before fleeing with her handbag and watch. They flagged down a taxi to escape."
Teens allegedly linked to viral bullying case among 60 arrested in youth crime sweep
Officers in a police patrol car found the injured woman and immediately gave chase.
About 800 metres from the crime scene, police stopped the taxi at the junction of Nam Cheong Street and Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po.
"Three of the suspects (two boys and one girl) managed to escape, and the other two suspects were caught at the scene," the source said. All the stolen property, including HK$7,000 cash that had been in the handbag, was recovered at the scene.
The woman suffered injuries to her head, arms and legs, and was taken conscious to Caritas Medical Centre for treatment.
The three suspects on the run are thought to be aged between 13 and 15, according to police.
Police to ramp up manpower by more than 7 per cent in 'biggest boost since 1997'
The two arrested boys are Form One students and do not live in the area.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the two boys were being held for questioning and had not been charged. Detectives from the Mong Kok criminal investigation unit are handling the case.
Between March 22 and 29, 15 students were among 60 people arrested in a police operation that targeted an uptick in youth crime in the Tuen Mun area.
Police figures show the number of juveniles aged 10 to 15 arrested rose 22.8 per cent in 2019, to 1,140, up from 928 the year before.
Arrests for criminal offences among those aged 16 to 20 jumped even more dramatically for the same period, with 3,128 arrested, up 69.9 per cent from 2018's 1,841. Police said most of the crimes committed by youths were offences against public order such as unlawful assemblies and riots tied to the citywide social unrest that first erupted in June.
Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
