Teen snatches S$70 at ATM but victim chooses to forgive after learning of her struggles
A 17-year-old girl in Thailand snatched THB1,800 (S$70) from a woman at an ATM, but was later forgiven after her circumstances came to light.
The incident occurred on Tuesday (31 March) in Buriram Province, according to local reports.
Teen refuses to return snatched money
According to Tnews, the victim, 49-year-old Ms Yuad, had just withdrawn cash from the ATM when the 17-year-old teen, identified as Sirinuch, snatched the money from her hand.
Source: Tnews
Ms Yuad attempted to retrieve her cash, but the teen refused to return it.
Even Sirinuch’s mother, who was present, urged her to give the money back, but to no avail.
Despite this, the teen did not flee the scene and remained there as the victim contacted the police.
Upon arrival, police tried to persuade the teen to return the money, but she continued to refuse, leading them to take both parties to the police station.
Mother says teen suffers from mental illness
At the station, Sirinuch continued clutching the cash tightly.
Officers spent 10 minutes persuading her, and three officers even worked together to pry the money from the teen’s hand, before finally retrieving the torn and crumpled paper bills.
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Sirinuch later said she had not eaten for weeks.
Her mother shared that the family — comprising herself, her daughter, and her grandchild — was struggling financially, with only one person employed.
She added that the teen suffers from a mental illness and receives medication from the hospital regularly.
According to Thaiger, the mother said that hunger and the hot weather had triggered the teen’s symptoms, leading her to commit the crime.
Victim decides to forgive teen
Upon being reimbursed, Ms Yuad decided not to pursue further legal action.
Source: Tnews
She reportedly felt sympathy after learning about Sirinuch’s situation.
Following the incident, police officers took Sirinuch to the hospital for an examination.
If she is confirmed to have a mental illness, she would be released without charge, police said.
Also read: Thai thief who stole money from temple arrested while queueing for petrol at petrol station
Thai thief who stole money from temple arrested while queueing for petrol at petrol station
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Featured image adapted from Tnews.
