Cabbie murder suspect arrested after being spotted drinking beer on Lamma Island
Local | 14 Oct 2021 1:08 pm
A suspect of the taxi driver murder case has been arrested after a westerner saw him drinking beer on Lamma Island and reported to the police.
Matthew Choi Naam-sang, 31, allegedly slashed the neck of a 48-year-old taxi driver with a chopper in the early hours on Tuesday in Sai Wan. He had absconded for more than a day before he was caught at 8.36pm on Wednesday.
In a press conference in the early hours of Thursday, police said Choi was spotted drinking beers outside of a store on the island. A report was made immediately to the police, after which armed officers soon arrived and made the arrest.
It is understood that the store is located near Tai Wan San Tsuen, but it did not open on Wednesday.
The suspect did not resist the arrest. Officers later found a stab-proof vest and a foldable knife with a 9cm blade inside a rubbish bag close by.
Chief Inspector Terrence Tse Tsz-kwan said that the suspect was found to have left a hotel early on Tuesday and boarded the cab driven by the deceased. He left the cab after about one minute and ran away towards Des Voeux Road West.
The police found the clothes he wore and a chopper on the rooftop of a nearby building, believing that he changed his clothes and fled to Lamma Island on the same day.
At the time of arrest, Choi wore a red polo. He was taken by a marine cop vessel to Cheung Chau police station before transferred to the Hong Kong Island regional crime squad.
Initial investigations showed the suspect committed the crime alone, and that he and the deceased did not know each other.
They are now investigating his mental status, whether the crime was instigated by others and whether he had accomplices.
Police thanked citizens who made reports which helped officers in making the arrest.
