A woman has been arrested on suspicion of throwing a bottle of red paint at the Hong Kong government headquarters.
Central Government Offices in Admiralty. Photo: GovHK.
A 46-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday for alleged criminal damage in connection with red paint found splashed on a flower bed and pedestrian path at the Central Government Offices (CGO) in Tamar, Admiralty.
According to the police, a glass bottle filled with red paint was thrown from a footbridge connected to the CGO at around 8.15 pm on Tuesday. The bottle landed on a flower bed and the pedestrian path, leaving a large splash of red paint.
Following an investigation and a review of security camera footage, the police identified a female suspect. She was apprehended in Tai Kok Tsui on Thursday morning.
Police found the clothes, trainers and a handbag the suspect was wearing at the time of the offence in a nearby industrial unit she lived in. The clothes and shoes had what was thought to be red paint on them. The evidence found would be tested in a laboratory later, the force said.
Chief inspector Siu CHi-him meets the press on November 21, 2024. Photo: Hong Kong Police Facebook.
Chief inspector Siu Chi-him of the Public Order Event Investigation Team of Hong Kong Island told the press on Thursday that a preliminary investigation suggested the suspect had committed the crime alone. She was motivated by emotional and family issues, he said.
The suspect was detained pending investigation and would be formally charged later, Siu said.
“Criminal damage is a serious offense, and upon conviction, it can carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The police strongly condemn the illegal act of criminal damage,” Siu said in Cantonese.
