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On Monday (Jan. 9) morning, a 60-year-old woman was held at knifepoint by a 42-year-old man along Yishun Ring Road.

He was subsequently restrained and arrested.

The police said in an earlier statement that they responded to a call for assistance at 7:36am.

The victim sustained minor injuries but refused to be taken to hospital.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the man and victim did not know each other.

More details on what happened

On Jan. 9 evening, the police provided updates on the case, saying that officers arrived at the scene at 7:44am.

This included Ground Response Force officers, who were later joined by the Emergency Response Team of Woodlands Police Division.

Upon locating the man, the officers surrounded him for tactical advantage and spoke to him in a bid to persuade him to release the victim.

Officers also dispersed nearby members of public for their safety.

The officers eventually managed to take the man down, disarm him, and bring the victim to safety.

By 8:07am, the man was placed under arrest and the threat was removed.

Close to 10 officers in total were at the scene.

He pulled her along at knifepoint for about 50m

The police revealed that the victim was at Block 108 Yishun Ring Road when she was approached by the man.

The man then pulled her along with him at knifepoint for about 50m, towards Block 110, where he was subdued and detained by responding police officers.

The man was wearing a light blue shirt and long black pants when he committed the offence.

The knife he carried, which belonged to him, was about 19cm long.

The victim did not receive any cuts, but she suffered an abrasion to her right chin as a result of the incident.

Responding to a question from the media about what appeared to be blood stains on the knife, the police confirmed they were not human blood.

Tested positive for controlled drugs

Preliminary investigations by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) revealed that the man’s urine tested positive for controlled drugs.

The man will be charged in court on Tuesday (Jan. 10) for carrying an offensive weapon in a public place.

The police will seek to remand him at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychiatric evaluation.

Further investigations are ongoing for suspected drug-related offences.

Police shared that the man was not wanted by the police, but officers had interacted with him before during patrols.

It is unknown if the man is a repeat offender.

Police added that the victim was not preemptively targeted by the man, and that he did not make any threats or demands when he held her at knifepoint.

Recount from witness

Mothership spoke to a woman who works at the coffee shop where the man dragged the victim to.

She said that the victim was a regular customer, and would come to the stall with her nephew every morning to grab breakfast before they went to work.

Recounting the incident, the coffee shop worker said she saw the victim slowly walking across the coffee shop with the man behind her.

He held the knife to her neck, and she remained completely silent and still as they walked.

About four to five police officers were behind them, trying to calm the man down.

"It was very scary because I know [the victim]. To see her in that situation was shocking, I didn't dare to do anything. Everything happened so quickly. I was just shocked and scared for [the victim]," the coffee shop worker told Mothership.

She added that police cars arrived at the scene and officers with guns approached the area.

Officers eventually managed to restrain the man and rescue the victim.

The coffee shop worker Mothership spoke to said she comforted the victim after the man was arrested.

"I sat her down and gave her a drink. I could see that she was traumatised.

[...]

She was slightly hurt near her chin, but she did not want to go to the hospital."

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Top images via Ruth Chai & WhatsApp.