Thai woman arrested for stealing from blind neighbour (video)

Police arrested a Thai woman caught on a security camera stealing money and a mobile phone from an elderly blind neighbour in the Isaan province of Nakhon Panom.

Officers from the Laksila Police Station, yesterday, May 27, arrested the 36 year old woman, Jariya Puttawong, for allegedly stealing from the 80 year old blind victim, Thong, on May 3 and May 25.

Jariya denied the accusation and expressed anger towards the police officers. Officers then searched her home and found the pink clothes she wore during the theft. Thong’s mobile phone and wallet were not found at the scene.

The arrest was made following evidence submitted by Thong’s grandson. Thong’s grandson explained that his grandmother, who is blind and lives alone, lost 2,000 baht in cash and her mobile phone on May 3 but could not identify the thief due to her disability.

The family decided to install a security camera inside the home to catch the thief, and it proved effective. The CCTV footage showed a woman dressed in all pink entering Thong’s home quietly and stealing her cash on May 25.

The woman in the video was identified as Thong’s neighbour, Jariya, who lived next door. With this clear evidence, Thong’s family reported the matter to the police, leading to Jariya’s arrest yesterday.

Thong insisted on pursuing legal action against Jariya to prevent her from committing similar crimes against other elderly members of the community.

Police suspected that Jariya’s financial difficulties, after losing her job, motivated her to steal from an elderly person with a disability.

Despite her denial, the clear evidence led to Jariya being charged under Section 334 of the Criminal Law: stealing the property of another person. The penalty is imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to 60,000 baht.

A similar story of exploiting a disabled person was reported in January when a blind man sought justice, claiming his relatives tricked him into signing a document to transfer his six acres of land to them. The victim sought help from the Ministry of Justice but the development of the case was not made public.