Woman, 73, arrested, given police warning for chasing volunteer with knife at ageing centre in Jurong

A 73-year-old woman was arrested after she chased a volunteer with a knife over a suspected theft at an ageing centre in Taman Jurong on Friday (Nov 28). 

She was given a conditional warning by the police for criminal intimidation upon conclusion of investigations the same day. 

The incident occurred at the Thye Hua Kwan active ageing centre at about 9.30am. 

When Shin Min Daily News reporters arrived at the scene, police officers were seen taking the elderly woman away. 

An elderly man wearing a hat and a white shirt, believed to be the volunteer, was assisting with the investigation. 

A nearby female resident, who wished to be known only as He, told the Chinese daily that before the volunteer who was accused of stealing could explain himself, the elderly woman — who was clad in a floral dress — punched him in the stomach.

"She then grabbed a knife, about 15 centimetres long and chased after him. I ran to stop her, but she pushed me away forcefully," said the 77-year-old. 

She added that the culprit had also caused a disturbance a few weeks ago, chasing people with her cane.

Another nearby resident, who wished to be known only as Zhuo, 72, noted that the woman was a regular at the senior centre and often spoke very loudly and behaved aggressively. 

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a call for assistance was made at about 9.30am at Block 337 Tah Ching Road. 

A 73-year-old woman was arrested for criminal intimidation. No injuries were reported. 

"Upon completion of investigations and after careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, the police, in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, administered a 12-month conditional warning to the 73-year-old woman on Nov 28 for the offence of criminal intimidation under Section 506 of the Penal Code", said a police spokesperson. 

In a statement on Dec 2, a spokesperson for Thye Hua Kwan confirmed that an incident had occurred between two elderly persons, during which an intern at the centre sustained minor cuts. 

"We do not tolerate any aggressive behaviour and during the course of the incident, the safety of our beneficiaries and staff were our top priority," said the spokesperson. 

Thye Hua Kwan added that they are currently reviewing the incident internally and will adopt additional measures or training where necessary to ensure that the safety and well-being of their beneficiaries and staff are not compromised. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com