KUCHING: Members of the public are urged to be vigilant when walking alone as snatch thieves have been on the rise with the recently identified suspect.
The suspect, an ex-convict who was recently released, has returned to his old habits.
Meanwhile, Kuching deputy police chief Supt Ismail Mahmood said from the initial investigation on the snatch theft case of a student at Chung Hua Middle School No. 3, it was found that the suspect was an ex-convict. His identity has been made known to the police who are now hot on his heels.
The student sustained serious injuries when she tried to challenge the suspect, who had calmly rode into the school and snatched her cell phone, before fleeing on his motorcycle.
She then gave chase and jumped on him by grabbing his shirt as the suspect refused to stop.
Supt Ismail also urged members of the public not to harbour the suspect but instead provide information on his whereabouts.
In another incident, a woman who was leaving a church in Kenyalang Park with her husband, fell victim to a lone snatch thief who had grabbed onto her bag containing RM500 cash and other personal items on Monday morning.
On the following day, two snatch thieves robbed a 73-year-old man of his gold chain in front of his house at Jalan Intan, off Jalan Nanas at about 10.30am. The victim was slightly hurt and shaken. His family members then brought him to lodge a police report.
