Theft suspect in viral post arrested, charged

The suspect in a theft case described in a Facebook post that went viral on social media has been arrested and charged, the police said.

Facebook user Evelyn Tan, 31, posted last Wednesday: "My grandma was recently drugged by a middle-aged man at a polyclinic and subsequently robbed of her gold necklace, wedding ring, together with her wallet and keys."

She said she has been informed by the police that her grandmother was not the only victim in such a ploy.

Her post has been shared at least 1,000 times as of yesterday evening, and has also been shared on WhatsApp.

In response to queries from The Straits Times - after a reader asked if the news was real or fake - a police spokesman said that between Aug 31 and Sept 9, the police were alerted to a case of theft and misappropriation of property in Queensway, and a case of theft in Jurong East Ave 1.

He added that a 58-year-old man was arrested on Sept 10 in relation to the cases, and charged two days later, on Sept 12. The police are investigating the cases.

In her post, Ms Tan said she wanted to warn elderly people of individuals like the suspect who lurk around hospitals and clinics impersonating nurses or clinicians to "hoax them into taking medications that are like sleeping pills or relaxants". "When in doubt, always ask to speak to the doctor before taking the medication," she wrote.

She said her grandmother had been in a daze after taking the "medicine" and collapsed in a street near Queenstown Polyclinic. She was eventually taken to the accident and emergency unit at the National University Hospital (NUH).

"The audacious thief also located where my grandma lives using the address on her identity card and appeared at the doorstep of my uncle's flat," wrote Ms Tan.

"He tried to break into the house with my grandma's keys, but did not succeed as my cousin was at home."

Ms Tan said she was informed by the police that a man in his 50s has since been caught, and that other cases were reported at NUH or polyclinics in the vicinity.

"This was a painful experience for my grandma, but we're all glad that the guy has been caught. We do not know if he belongs to any syndicate or (if he is) a lone ranger," she wrote.

"Nonetheless, we hope that our experience can serve as a warning for other elderly folks out there."