SINGAPORE - A 42-year-old man who allegedly smashed a window of a car in Toa Payoh has been arrested for his involvement in two cases of theft from vehicles.

The police on Tuesday (Aug 8) received two reports from car owners saying their vehicles had been broken into.

They had returned to their vehicles to find cash, parking coupons, personal identification documents and other items missing.

Tanglin Police Division officers identified the suspect and arrested him in Toa Payoh two days later on Thursday (Aug 10).

If convicted of theft, the suspect can be jailed for up to three years and/or fined.

The owner of one of the cars, who identified himself only by his surname Tan, told citizen journalism site Stomp on Wednesday (Aug 9) that he was going to work when he found the left passenger window of his car shattered.

His car had been parked near Block 213, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh.

After the suspect was arrested, Mr Tan praised the police for being "really quite fast and efficient".

The police, in their statement, gave the following recommendations to car owners to prevent theft from vehicles.

- Install an anti-theft alarm system;

- Do not leave cash and valuables, such as cashcards, laptops, mobile phones, briefcases or wallets in your vehicle;

- Lock all vehicle doors and wind up all windows when the vehicle is parked, even if it is for a short while;

- Park your vehicle in well-lit areas; and

- Look around the vicinity for suspicious characters before leaving. If you see any suspicious characters, take note of their appearance, attire, height, or any other distinctive physical features and inform the police for assistance. Do not confront them.