Hong Kong teen caught after escaping police custody and jumping into Tuen Mun River
Suspect, 18, had earlier been arrested for selling liquor without licence
An 18-year-old suspect jumped into the Tuen Mun River after escaping from custody at Tuen Mun police station on Saturday night.
He was eventually caught and sent to hospital after hiding under a bridge column for about two hours.
The teenager, surnamed Ho, had been arrested the previous night for selling liquor without a licence. He was detained at Tuen Mun police station on Pui To Road, where he waited for his elder brother to bail him out.
A police source familiar with the case said that when Ho’s brother came to the station and paid the bail at 7.30pm, the suspect suddenly “knocked against” the officers escorting him and ran away.
“He ran away from the station and jumped into the Tuen Mun River right at the door,” the source said. “He was out of our sight after swimming for a short while in the dark.”
The insider said the man was under a probation order for a previous crime.
“According to the probation order, he has to be returned to the Correctional Services Department if he is caught for violating the law during the probation period,” the source said. “He was probably scared and therefore fled from our custody.”
The escape prompted a large-scale search by police and fire service personnel in the area. The Fire Services Department also sent diving teams and a rescue boat to look for the youth.
At about 9.15pm, police found Ho hiding under a bridge column in the river. He was arrested and sent to Tuen Mun Hospital for medical treatment.
This is not the first time a suspect has escaped from custody at Tuen Mun police station.
In January, a 23-year-old suspect fled from the detainment room after being arrested for taking conveyance without authority. He was subdued by officers after a 300-metre chase to Tuen Mun Park.
