Police arrest 1 man over predawn knife attack at Hong Kong bakery, 2 others still at large
- Police source says victim arrived at work on Tuesday morning to find three men inside bakery, with two of them slashing him with knives before fleeing
- Police arrest one suspect about 8km away after off-duty officer spots him and another man trying to set fire to car believed to to be getaway vehicle
Hong Kong police have arrested one suspect and searching for two others wanted in connection with a predawn knife attack on a bakery employee in the New Territories.
The 58-year-old employee, surnamed Wong, was attacked inside the ground-floor bakery at Sai Kung Hoi Pong Square at 5.24am, shortly after he arrived for work on Tuesday morning, according to the force.
“When [the victim] entered the shop, he found three black-clad men in the kitchen. Two of them attacked him with knives,” a police source said.
Wong called police after the three attackers fled, leaving behind a knife at the doorstep of the shop.
The source said Wong suffered a 3cm cut near his left eye, as well as injuries to his left fingers and leg. He was taken to Tseung Kwan O Hospital for treatment.
Just 11 minutes after the attack, officers were called to Clear Water Bay Road near Pik Uk Prison, where an off-duty policeman had spotted two men trying to set a car on fire. The location was about 8km away from the site of the attack.
Police arrested a 37-year-old man at the scene, but the other managed to escape. Burn marks were found on the front passenger seat of the vehicle, which police suspect was used as a getaway car in the attack.
Inside the vehicle, officers found two knives, gloves and a bottle of petrol.
A police spokesman said the suspect was detained on suspicion of arson and wounding. Officers are still searching for the other two men.
Detectives from the Wong Tai Sin criminal investigation unit are looking into the motive behind the attack.
Separately, a 54-year-old merchant suffered cuts to his arms, legs and back in a knife attack outside a 7-Eleven on Shanghai Street in Yau Ma Tei shortly after 8.30pm on Monday. He was taken to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam for treatment.
According to the force, three male attackers, thought to be aged around 30, fled in a car after the attack. Officers mounted a search, but no arrests were made.
Last year, police handled 732 reports of wounding across the city, down 30 per cent from 1,049 the year before.
