BATU GAJAH, June 14 — A 16-year-old school dropout was arrested yesterday on suspicion of stealing jewellery from her uncle’s house in Kampung Baru Chendrong here.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Adnan Basri said the suspect's 63-year-old uncle, a pensioner, reported the loss of a gold necklace and locket totalling RM10,000 after discovering on Thursday morning that they were missing from where he kept them in a cupboard in his master bedroom.
Acting on the man’s report, police visited the girl’s parents’ house at Taman Puncak Jelapang, Ipoh at 1.30pm and took her in for questioning.
“During questioning, the suspect admitted to stealing the jewellery and sold the items to a pawn shop at Silibin in the morning,” the senior policeman said in a statement.
He said the girl had been staying with her uncle after leaving her parents’ home three months ago.
He added that police will apply to remand the girl while tracking down the allegedly pawned items.
The case is being investigated under Section 380 of the Penal Code for theft which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years for adults upon conviction.
However, as the suspect is a juvenile, she would be sent to a reform school until age 21, if found guilty.
