S
Sauron
Guest
Attempted robbery thwarted
Posted: 10 April 2011 2306 hrs
SINGAPORE : An attempted robbery early Sunday morning was thwarted by the efforts of two members of the public and an off-duty officer.
The incident happened at about 2am, when a 19-year-old youth entered a convenience store at Bukit Merah Central.
His get-up, comprising a black cap with a black hooded cardigan over his head, caught the attention of the lone cashier.
Then without warning, the youth brandished a screwdriver and demanded that the cashier open the cash register.
The 30-year-old cashier retreated towards a nearby glass wall and, while shouting for help, banged on the glass to catch the attention of a passer-by who was just outside the store.
This startled the would-be robber, who ran off.
But the calls for help alerted three people nearby, who promptly gave chase.
One of them was an off-duty policeman.
The trio detained the suspect and handed him over to the police.
The screwdriver was also seized from him.
The youth will be charged in court on Monday with attempted robbery.
If convicted, he may be jailed for between three and 14 years.
- CNA/ms
